University  ol  t  Jiiorma 


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FIGHTING  JOE 

-      -  '  ' 

OR 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  STAFF  OFFICER 


of  the 


BY 

OT  TVFR  OPTIC  r!  e  -  V)iu-'*KL  TA/V-. 
ui^iviLis.  ^riivx  L>  Afr**sJ 

AUTHOR  OF  "THE  YANKEE  MIDDY,"  "WORK  AND  win,1* 

"TRY  AGAIN,"  ETC.,  ETC. 


NEW  YORK 
HURST  &  COMPANY 

PUBLISHERS 


I    OD 


OLIVER  OPTIC  SERIES 

UNIFORM   WITH    THIS   VOLUME 

By  OLIVER  OPTIC 

ALL  ABOARD;  or,  Life  on  the  Lake. 

BOAT  CLUB;  or,  The  Bunkers  of  Rippleton. 

BRAVE  OLD  SALT;  or,  Life  on  the  Quarter  Deck. 

Do  SOMETHINGS  ;  a  Story  for  Little  Folks. 

FIGHTING  JOE;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  a  Staff  Officer. 

HASTE  AND  WASTE;  or,  Young  Pilot  of  Lake  Champlain. 

HOPE  AND  HAVE  ;  or,  Fanny  Grant  Among  the  Indians. 

IN  SCHOOL  AND  OUT;  or.  The  Conquest  of  Richard  Grant. 

LITTLE  BY  LITTLE  ;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  Flyaway. 

LITTLE  MERCHANT;  a  Story  for  Little  Folks 

Now  OR  NEVER;  or,  The  Adventures  of  Bobby  Bright. 

OUTWARD  BOUND;  or,  Young  America  Afloat 

POOR  AND  PROUD;  or,  The  Fortunes  of  Katie  Redburn. 

PROUD  AND  LAZY;  a  Story  for  Little  Folks. 

RICH  AND  HUMBLE;  or,  The  Mission  of  Bertha  Grant. 

SAILOR  BOY;  or,  Jack  Somers  in  the  Navy. 

SOLDIER  BOY;  or,  Tom  Somers  in  the  Army. 

TRY  AGAIN;  or,  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  Harry  West. 

WATCH  AND  WATT;  or,  The  Young  Fugitives. 

WORK  AND  WIN;  or,  Noddy  Newman  on  a  Cruise. 

THE  YANKEE  MIDDY;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Naval 

Officer. 
YOUNG  LIEUTENANT;  or,  The  Adventures  of  an  Army 

Officer. 

Price,  postpaid,  foe.  each,  or  any  three  books 
for  $1.25 

HURST  &  COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


TO 

.  ©rmonfc  3.  S. 

THIS  BOOK 

K  MfiPBCTFULLY  DEDICATED 
BY  HIS  FRIEND 

WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 


PEEFACE. 


THIS  volume,  the  fifth  of  "  THE  AEMY  AND  NAVY 
STORIES,"  is  not  a  biography  of  the  distinguished 
soldier  whose  sobriquet  in  the  army  has  been  chosen 
as  its  principal  title,  though  the  prominent  incidents 
of  his  military  career  are  noticed  in  its  pages.  The 
writer  offers  his  humble  tribute  of  admiration  to 
the  energetic  and  devoted  general  who  will  be  rec 
ognized  under  the  appellation  given  to  this  work ; 
but  perhaps  the  object  of  the  volume  may  be  better 
represented  by  the  second  title.  It  follows  Tom 
Somers,  « The  Soldier  Boy "  and  "  The  Young 
Lieutenant,"  in  his  brilliant  and  daring  career  as  a 
staff  officer,  through  some  of  the  most  stormy  and 
trying  scenes  of  the  late  war. 

As  in  the  volumes  of  the  series  which  have  pre 
ceded  it,  the  best  sources  of  information  upon 
military  events  have  been  carefully  consulted ;  and 
to  the  extent  to  which  the  book  is  properly  histor 
ical,  it  is  intended  to  be  faithful  in  its  delineations. 
But  the  work  is  more  correctly  a  record  of  personal 
adventure,  no  more  complicated,  daring,  and  romantic 
than  may  be  found  in  the  experience  of  many,  who, 
through  trial  and  tribulation,  through  victory  and 
defeat,  have  passed  from  the  inception  to  the 
gigantic  failure  of  this  gigantic  rebellion. 

More  earnest  than  any  other  purpose  in  the  pro- 
5 


6  Preface. 

duction  of  the  book,  it  has  been  the  object  of  the 
writer  to  exhibit  a  character  in  his  hero  worthy  the 
imitation  of  the  boy  r^d  the  man  who  may  read  it ; 
and  if  it  does  not  inculcate  a  lofty  patriotism,  and  a 
noble  and  Christian  morality,  it  will  have  failed  of 
the  highest  aim  of  the  author. 

With  the  still  stronger  expression  of  gratitude 
which  the  increasing  favor  bestowed  upon  previous 
efforts  demands  of  me,  I  pass  the  fifth  volume  of 
the  series  into  the  hands  of  my  indulgent  friends, 
hoping  that  it  will  not  fall  short  of  their  reasonable 
expectations. 

WILLIAM  T.  ADAMS. 

HARBISON  SQUABE,  MASS.,  December  12,  1865. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  A  Fighting  Man 9 

II.  A  Skirmish  on  the  Road .  17 

IIL  Fighting  Joe 26 

IV.  Miss  Maud  Hasbrouk 35 

V.  The  Boot  on  One  Leg 44 

VI.  The  Boot  on  the  Other  Leg 53 

VTL  South  Mountain 61 

VIIL  Before  the  Great  Battle 70 

IX.  Between  the  Pickets 79 

X.  Major  Riggleston 87 

XL  Shot  in  the  Head 96 

XII.  The  Council  of  Officers 105 

XIII.  The  Battle  of  Antietam 113 

XIV.  The  Battle  on  the  Right 121 

XV.  After  the  Battle 129 

XVI.  The  Mystery  Explained 137 

XVII.  Down  in  Tennessee 145 

XVIII.  The  Guerillas  at  Supper 153 

XIX.  Tippy,  the  Scout 162 

XX.  Skinley,  the  Texan 170 

XXI.  The  House  of  the  Union  Man 178 

7 


Contents. 


CHAPTW 

XXII.  The  Greenback  Train  ......................  187 

XXIII.  The  Battle  in  the  Clouds  ..................  195 

XXIV.  Peach-Tree  Creek  .........................  303 

XXV.  The  Monkey  and  the  Cat's-Paw  ............  212 

XXVI.  Supper  for  Seven  ........................  „  .  222 

XXVII.  The  Cat'a-Paw  too  Sharp  for  the  Monkey.  .  .  231 
XXVIII.  The  Bloodhounds  on  the  Track  ............  241 

XXIX.  The  Pilgrimage  to  the  Sea  .................  250 

XXX.  Major  Somers  and  Friends  .................  261 


FIGHTING    JOE; 

OB, 

THE  FORTUNES  OF  A  STAFF  OFFICER. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A    FIGHTING    MAN. 

WELL,  Alick,  I  don't  know  where  I  am,"  said 
Captain  Thomas  Somers,  of  the  staff  of  the  major- 
general  commanding  the  first  army  corps  of  the 
Army  of  the  Potomac,  then  on  its  march  to  repel 
the  invasion  of  Maryland,  which  had  been  attempted 
by  the  victorious  rebels  under  General  Lee. 

"  Well,  massa,  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,"  replied 
Alick,  his  colored  servant.  "If  you  was  down 
'bout  Petersburg,  I  reckon  I'd  know  all  'bout  it." 

"  We  must  find  out  very  soon,"  added  Captain 
Somers,  as  he  reined  in  his  horse  at  a  point  where 
two  roads  branched  off,  one  to  the  northwest  and 
the  other  to  the  southwest. 

"  Day  ain't  no  house  'bout  here,  massa." 

"  I  don't  want  to  lose  my  way,  for  I  have  no  time 
to  spare." 

"  Dar's  somebody  comin'  up  behind,  massa,"  said 
Alick,  who  first  heard  the  sounds  of  horses'  feet 
approaching  in  the  direction  from  which  they  had 
just  come. 

9 


io  Fighting  Joe. 

Captain  Somers,  after  receiving  the  agreeable  in 
telligence  of  his  appointment  on  the  staff  of  the 
general,  in  whose  division  he  had  served  on  the 
Peninsula,  hastened  to  Washington  to  report  for 
duty.  He  had  hardly  time  to  visit  his  friends,  and 
was  obliged  to  content  himself  with  a  short  call  on 
Miss  Lilian  Ashford,  though  he  had  an  invitation 
to  spend  the  evening  with  the  family,  extended  for 
the  purpose  of  enabling  the  young  gentleman  to 
cultivate  an  acquaintance  with  the  beautiful  girl's 
grandmother ! 

Lilian's  father's  mother  was  certainly  a  very 
estimable  old  lady,  and  her  granddaughter  loved 
and  reverenced  her  with  a  fervor  which  was  almost 
enthusiastic.  It  was  quite  natural,  therefore,  that 
she  should  wish  Captain  Somers, — for  whom  she  had 
knit  a  pair  of  socks,  which  had  been  no  small 
portion  of  his  inspiration  in  the  hour  of  battle,  and 
for  whom  she  had  contracted  a  friendship, — it  was 
quite  natural  that  she  should  wish  to  have  the 
captain  well  acquainted  with  her  grandmother. 
She  loved  the  old  lady  herself,  and  of  course  so 
brave,  handsome,  and  loyal  a  person  as  her  friend 
had  proved  to  be,  must  share  her  reverence  and 
respect.  Besides,  the  venerable  woman  remem 
bered  all  about  the  last  war  with  Great  Britain. 
Her  husband  had  been  one  of  the  firemen  sent  out 
with  axes  to  cut  away  the  bridges  which  connect 
Boston  with  the  surrounding  country,  when  an 
invasion  of  the  town  was  expected.  She  could 
tell  a  good  story,  and  as  Somers  was  a  military 
man,  it  was  highly  important  that  he  should  know 
all  about  the  dreaded  invasion  which  did  not  take 
place. 

Captain  Somers  was  obliged  to  deprive  himself 


Fighting  Joe.  n 

of  the  pleasure  of  listening  to  the  old  lady's  history 
of  those  stirring  events,  for  more  exciting  ones  were 
in  progress  on  the  very  day  of  which  we  write.  He 
was  sorry,  for  he  anticipated  a  great  deal  of  pleas 
ure  from  the  visit,  though  whether  he  expected  to 
derive  the  whole  of  it  from  the  presence  of  the 
grandmother,  we  are  not  informed ;  and  it  would  be 
wicked  to  pry  too  deeply  into  the  secrets  of  the 
young  man's  heart.  We  are  not  quite  sure  that 
Lilian  was  entirely  unselfish  when  she  described 
what  a  rich  treat  the  old  lady's  narrative  would  be  ; 
but  we  are  certain  that  she  was  entirely  sincere,  and 
that  it  was  quite  proper  to  offer  some  extra  induce 
ment  to  secure  the  gallant  captain's  attendance. 

The  captain  did  not  need  any  extraordinary  in 
ducements,  beyond  the  presence  of  the  fair  Lilian 
herself.  We  even  believe  that  he  would  have  cheer 
fully  spent  the  evening  at  No.  —  Rutland  Street, 
if  there  had  been  no  one  but  herself  to  give  him  a 
welcome,  and  aid  him  in  passing  away  the  hours. 
Nothing  but  a  high  sense  of  duty  could  have  led 
him  to  break  the  engagement.  The  rebel  hordes, 
victorious  before  Washington,  and  elated  by  the 
signal  successes  they  had  won,  were  pouring  into 
Maryland,  menacing  Washington,  Baltimore,  and 
Philadelphia.  It  was  a  time  which  tried  the  souls 
of  patriotic  men — a  time  when  no  man  who  loved 
his  country  could  rest  in  peace  while  there  was  a 
work  which  his  hands  could  do. 

The  young  staif  officer  called  upon  the  lady  and 
stated  his  situation.  She  blushed,  as  she  always 
did  in  his  presence,  and  gave  him  a  God-speed  on 
his  patriotic  mission.  She  hoped  he  would  not  be 
killed,  or  even  wounded ;  that  his  feeble  health 
would  be  restored ;  and  that  God  would  bless  him  as 


12  Fighting  Joe. 

he  went  forth  to  do  battle  for  his  treason-ridden 
land.  She  was  pale  when  he  took  her  hand  at 
parting ;  her  bosom  heaved  with  emotions,  to  which 
Somers  found  a  response  in  his  own  heart,  but  which 
he  could  not  explain. 

He  went  to  Washington ;  but  the  gallant  army, 
still  suffering  from  the  pangs  of  recent  defeat,  but 
yet  strong  in  the  cause  they  had  espoused,  had 
marched  to  the  scene  of  new  battles.  Somers  had 
already  provided  himself  with  his  staff  uniform, 
and  he  remained  in  Washington  only  long  enough 
to  purchase  two  horses,  one  of  which  he  mounted 
himself,  while  Alick  rode  the  other,  and  started  for 
the  advance  of  the  army.  The  roads  were  so  cum 
bered  with  artillery  trains  and  baggage  wagons  that 
his  progress  was  very  slow,  and  the  corps  to  which 
he  now  belonged  was  several  days  in  advance  of 
him.  By  the  advice  of  a  general  officer,  he  had 
made  a  detour  from  the  direct  road,  and  passed 
through  a  comparatively  quiet  country. 

The  rebels  were  at  Frederick  City,  and  their 
cavalry,  in  large  and  small  bodies,  was  scattered  all 
over  the  region,  gathering  supplies  for  the  half 
starved,  half  clothed  men  of  Lee's  army.  Thus 
far  Somers  had  met  none  of  these  marauders,  nor 
any  of  the  guerillas,  who,  without  a  license  from 
either  side,  were  plundering  soldiers  and  civilians 
who  could  offer  no  resistance.  Somers  had  ridden 
as  rapidly  as  his  feeble  state  of  health  would  permit ; 
but  his  enthusiasm  had  urged  him  forward  until 
his  horse  was  more  in  danger  of  giving  out  than 
the  rider.  But  when  he  reached  the  cross-roads,  at 
which  we  find  him,  doubtful  about  the  right  way, 
he  had  slept  the  preceding  night  at  a  farmhouse, 
horse  and  rider  were  now  in  excellent  condition. 


Fighting  Joe.  13 

**  Are  your  pistols  ready  for  use,  Alick  ?  "  asked 
Somers,  as  he  heard  the  sounds  of  the  horses'  feet. 

"  Yes,  sar ;  always  keep  the  pistols  ready.  But 
what  you  gwine  to  do  with  pistols  here  ?  "  replied 
the  servant,  as  he  took  his  weapon  from  his  pocket. 

"  The  country  is  full  of  rebels  and  guerillas  ;  they 
may  want  our  horses,  and  perhaps  ourselves.  I 
can't  spare  my  coat  and  boots  very  well  at  present." 

"  Guess  not,  massa,"  laughed  Alick,  as  he  exam 
ined  the  lock  of  his  pistol. 

"  I  have  never  seen  you  in  a  fight,  Alick.  Do  you 
think  you  can  stand  up  to  it  ?  " 

"  Well,  massa,  I  don't  want  to  say  much  about 
that,  but  I  reckon  I  won't  run  away  no  faster'n 
you  do." 

"  If  I  get  into  trouble  with  these  ruffians,  I  shall 
want  to  know  whether  I  can  depend  on  you,  or 
not." 

"  Golly,  massa !  You  can  depend  on  me  till  the 
cows  come  home  !  "  exclaimed  Alick.  "  I  doesn't  like 
to  say  much  about  it,  but  if  these  yere  hossmen 
wants  to  fight,  I'm  not  the  chile  to  run  away." 

«  They  don't  look  much  like  rebels  or  guerillas," 
added  Somers,  as  he  obtained  his  first  view  of  the 
approaching  horsemen.  "But  you  can't  tell  much 
by  the  looks  in  these  times,  for  the  villains  have 
robbed  us  till  half  of  them  wear  our  own  colors. 
Those  people  certainly  wear  the  uniform  of  our 
army." 

"Dar's  only  two  of  'em,  massa.  I  reckon  they 
don't  want  to  fight  much." 

"  I  only  wish  to  be  cautious ;  very  likely  they  are 
loyal  and  true  men,"  replied  Somers,  as  the  stran 
gers  came  too  near  to  permit  any  further  remarks 
in  regard  to  their  probable  character. 


14  Fighting  Joe. 

Both  the  travelers  were  evideutly  officers  of  the 
array,  though,  as  Somers  had  suggested,  it  was  im 
possible  to  tell  what  anybody  was  by  the  looks,  or 
even  if  he  was  seen  to  take  the  oath  of  allegiance. 
As  they  came  round  a  bend  of  the  road,  and  dis 
covered  the  captain  and  his  servant,  they  reined  up 
their  steeds,  and  seemed  to  be  disturbed  by  the  same 
doubts  which  had  troubled  the  first  party.  But 
they  advanced,  after  a  cautious  survey,  and  each  of 
them  touched  his  cap,  when  they  came  within  speak 
ing  distance.  Somers  politely  returned  the  salute, 
and  moved  his  horse  towards  them. 

"  Good  morning,  gentlemen,"  said  he.  "  Can  you 
inform  me  which  is  the  road  to  Frederick  City  ?  " 

"  The  left,  sir.  If  you  are  going  in  that  direction, 
we  shall  be  glad  of  your  company,"  replied  one  of 
the  officers. 

"  Thank  you  ;  I  shall  be  glad  to  go  with  you." 

"  I  see  by  your  uniform  that  you  belong  on  the 
staff,"  added  the  officer  who  had  done  the  talking. 

"  Yes,  sir ; "  and  Somers,  without  reserve,  informed 
him  who  and  what  he  was. 

"  Somers  I  "  exclaimed  the  stranger.  "  I  have 
heard  of  you  before.  Perhaps  you  remember  one 
Dr.  Scoville,  of  Petersburg  ?  " 

"  Perfectly,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  Well,  sir,  he  is  an  uncle  of  mine." 

"Indeed?  I  took  you  to  be  an  officer  of  the 
United  States  army." 

"  So  I  am ;  but  my  father  married  a  sister  of  Dr. 
Scoville." 

"  Dr.  Scoville  is  a  very  good  sort  of  man,  but  he 
is  an  awful  rebel.  I  suppose  he  bears  no  good- will 
towards  me  and  my  friend  Major  de  Banyan." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  the  affair  was  a  capital  joke 


Fighting  Joe.  15 

on  the  doctor.  And  since  he  is  a  rebel,  and  a  very 
pestilent  one  too,  I  enjoyed  it  quite  as  much  as  you 
did." 

"  I  feel  very  grateful  to  him  for  what  he  did  for 
me.  I  went  into  his  house  without  an  invitation ; 
he  dressed  my  wound,  and  nearly  cured  me.  When 
the  soldiers  came  upon  us,  he  promised  to  give  us 
up  at  the  proper  time,  and  pledged  himself  for  our 
safety.  We  left  him,  one  day,  rather  shabbily,  I 
confess ;  but  we  had  no  taste  for  a  rebel  prison,  for 
the  rebs  don't  always  manage  their  prisons  very 
well." 

"  I  have  heard  the  whole  story.  It's  rich.  If  you 
please,  we  will  move  on." 

"  With  all  my  heart,  major,"  replied  Somers,  who 
read  his  rank  from  his  shoulder-straps. 

"  I  am  Major  Riggleston,  of  the  — nd  Maryland 
Home  Brigade,  on  detached  duty,  just  now." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  you,  Major  Riggleston,  especi 
ally  as  you  are  a  relative  of  my  friend  Dr.  Scoville, 
and  on  the  right  side." 

"  This  is  Captain  Barkwood,  of  the  regulars." 

Somers  saluted  the  quiet  gentleman,  who  had 
hardly  spoken  during  the  interview.  Major  Rig 
gleston  was  dressed  in  an  entirely  new  uniform,  and 
rode  a  splendid  horse,  which  led  Somers  to  believe 
that  he  belonged  to  one  of  the  wealthy  and  aristo 
cratic  families  of  the  state  which  so  tardily  embraced 
the  cause  of  the  Union.  On  the  other  hand,  Cap 
tain  Barkwood  looked  as  though  he  had  seen  hard 
service ;  for  his  uniform  was  rusty,  and  his  face 
was  bronzed  by  exposure  beneath  the  fervid  sun  of 
the  south. 

The  party  were  excellently  well  acquainted  with 
each  other  before  they  had  ridden  a  mile.  After  the 


16  Fighting  Joe. 

topics  suggested  by  the  first  meeting  had  been  ex 
hausted,  Somers  mentioned  his  fear  of  the  guerillas 
and  rebel  marauders,  who  kept  a  little  way  in  ad 
vance  of  the  invading  army.  The  travelers  were 
now  farther  north  than  Frederick,  and  some  dis 
tance  from  the  advancing  line  of  the  Union  army. 
The  road  they  had  chosen  was  not  one  of  the  great 
thoroughfares  of  the  state ;  consequently  it  was  but 
little  frequented. 

"  I  don't  object  to  meeting  a  small  party  of  gueril 
las,"  said  Major  Riggleston ;  "  for,  gentlemen,  if  you 
are  of  the  same  mind  that  I  am,  we  should  show 
them  the  quality  of  true  Union  steel." 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  meet  any ;  but  if  we  do,  I 
am  in  no  humor  to  lose  my  horse  or  my  boots,"  re 
plied  Somers.  "  But  we  may  meet  so  many  of  them 
that  it  would  be  better  to  trust  to  our  horses'  heels 
than  to  the  quality  of  our  steel." 

"  True — too  many  would  not  be  agreeable  ;  but, 
say  a  dozen  or  twenty  of  them.  We  could  whip 
that  number  without  difficulty.  The  fact  is,  gentle 
men,  I  am  a  fighting  man.  There  has  been  too  much 
of  this  looking  at  the  enemy,  and  then  running 
away.  I  repeat,  gentlemen,  I  am  a  fighting  man." 

a  I  am  glad  to  hear  it,  and  glad  to  have  met  you, 
for  I  am  told  there  are  a  good  many  of  these  small 
plundering  parties  loose  about  this  region;  and  I 
would  rather  fight  than  lose  my  boots,"  laughed 
Somers. 

"  Three  of  us  can  do  a  good  thing,"  added  the 
major. 

u  Four,"  suggested  Somers. 

"Four?" 

"  My  man  can  fight." 

"But  he  is  a  nigger;  niggers  won't  fight." 


Fighting  Joe.  17 

"  He  will.  By  the  way,  he  came  from  your  uncle's, 
at  Petersburg." 

"  Alick  !  "  exclaimed  the  major,  glancing  back  at 
the  servant. 

He  did  not  seem  to  be  well  pleased  to  discover  one 
of  his  uncle's  contrabands  at  this  distance  from 
home ;  for,  with  many  other  chivalrous  southrons, 
he  believed  it  would  be  a  good  thing  to  preserve  the 
Union,  if  slavery  could  be  preserved  with  it.  He 
spoke  a  few  words  to  Alick,  but  did  not  seem  to  en 
joy  the  interview. 

"  Yes,  we  can  whip  at  least  twenty  of  the  vil 
lains,"  added  the  major,  as  he  resumed  his  place  be 
tween  Somers  and  Captain  Barkwood.  "What  do 
you  think  ? "  he  continued,  turning  to  the  regular. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  meet  any.  I  am  a  coward 
by  nature.  I  would  rather  run  than  fight,  any 
time,"  replied  the  captain.  "  Of  all  things  I  dislike 
these  small  skirmishes,  these  hand-to-hand  fights." 

u  I  like  them ;  I'm  a  fighting  man,"  said  the  major. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  will  have  a  chance  to  test  your 
mettle,"  said  Somers.  "  Those  fellows  are  guerillas, 
if  I  mistake  not,"  added  he,  pointing  to  half  a  dozen 
horsemen  who  were  approaching  them. 


CHAPTER  II. 

A    SKIRMISH    ON    THIS    ROAD. 


THE  horsemen  who  had  attracted  the  attention  of  * 
Captain  Somers  were  hard-looking  fellows.     They 
were   dressed    in  a  miscellaneous    manner,    their 


i8  Fighting  Joe. 

clothes  being  partly  civilian  and  partly  military. 
Portions  of  their  garb  were  new,  and  probably  at  no 
distant  period  had  been  part  of  the  stock  in  trade  of 
some  industrious  clothier  in  one  of  the  invaded 
towns;  and  portions  were  faded  and  dilapidated, 
bearing  the  traces  of  a  severe  march  through  the 
soft  mud  of  Virginia.  It  was  not  easy  to  mistake 
their  character. 

The  guerillas  perceived  the  approaching  party 
almost  as  soon  as  they  were  themselves  perceived. 
They  adopted  no  uncertain  tactics,  but  instantly 
put  spurs  to  their  horses  and  galloped  up  to  the 
little  squad  of  officers.  They  appeared  to  have  no 
doubts  whatever  in  regard  to  the  issue  of  the  meet 
ing,  for  they  resorted  to  no  cautionary  movements, 
and  made  no  prudential  halts.  They  had  evidently 
had  everything  their  own  way  in  previous  encoun 
ters  of  this  description,  and  seemed  to  be  satisfied 
that  they  had  only  to  demand  an  unconditional  sur 
render  in  order  to  find  their  way  at  once  to  the 
pockets  of  the  travelers,  or  to  appropriate  their 
coats  and  boots  to  the  use  of  the  rebel  army. 

"  Halt ! "  said  the  nondescript  gentleman  at  the 
head  of  the  guerillas. 

"  Your  business  ?  "  demanded  Major  Riggleston. 

"  Sorry  to  trouble  you,  gentlemen,  but  you  are  my 
prisoners,"  said  the  chief  guerilla,  as  blandly  as 
though  he  had  been  in  a  drawing-room. 

"Who  are  you,  gentlemen?  "  asked  the  major. 

**  I  don't  like  to  be  uncivil  to  a  well-dressed  gen 
tleman  like  yourself;  but  I  haven't  learned  my 
catechism  lately,  and  can't  stop  to  be  questioned. 
In  one  word,  do  you  surrender  ?  " 

"  Allow  me  a  moment  to  consult  with  my  friends." 

"  Only  one  moment." 


Fighting  Joe.  19 

"Don't  you  think  we  had  better  surrender,  Cap 
tain  Somers  ?  " 

« I  thought  'you  were  a  fighting  man,"  replied 
Somers. 

"  I  am  when  circumstances  will  admit  of  it ;  but 
they  are  two  to  our  one." 

"  Just  now  you  thought  we  were  a  match  for  at 
least  twenty  of  these  fellows." 

"  Time's  up,  gentlemen,"  said  the  dashing  guerilla. 

"  What  do  you  say,  Captain  Somers  ?  " 

"  You  can  do  as  you  please ;  I  don't  surrender, 
for  one." 

"  But  this  is  madness." 

"  I  don't  care  what  it  is ;  I  am  going  to  fight  my 
way  through." 

"Do  you  surrender?"  demanded  the  impatient 
chief  of  the  horsemen. 

"  No ! "  replied  Somers,  in  his  most  decided  tone. 

«  Then  you  are  a  dead  man !  "  And  the  guerilla 
raised  his  pistol. 

Somers  already  had  one  of  his  revolvers  in  his 
hand,  and  before  the  villain  had  fairly  uttered  the 
words,  he  presented  his  weapon  and  fired,  as  quick 
as  the  flash  of  lightning.  The  leader  dropped  from 
his  horse,  and  his  pistol  was  discharged  in  the  act, 
but  the  ball  went  into  the  ground.  Almost  at  the 
same  instant  the  quiet  captain  of  the  regulars  fired, 
and  wounded  another  of  the  banditti.  The  others, 
apparently  astonished  at  this  unexpected  resistance, 
discharged  their  pistols,  and  pressed  forward,  with 
their  sabers  in  hand,  to  avenge  the  fall  of  their  com 
rades. 

Somers  rapidly  fired  the  other  barrels  of  his 
revolver,  and  so  did  Captain  Barkwood,  but  without 
the  same  decisive  effect  as  before,  though  two  of  the 


2O  Fighting  Joe. 

assailants  appeared  to  be  slightly  wounded.  There 
was  no  further  opportunity  to  use  firearms,  and  the 
officers  drew  their  swords,  as  they  fell  back  before 
the  impetuous  charge  of  the  savage  guerillas.  Major 
Riggleston  followed  their  example,  and  for  a  mo 
ment  the  sparks  flew  from  the  well-tempered  steel 
of  the  combatants.  Our  officers  were  accomplished 
swordsmen,  but  the  furious  rebels  appeared  to  be 
getting  the  better  of  them.  Major  Riggleston  con 
trived  to  wheel  his  horse,  and  was  so  fortunate  as 
to  get  out  of  the  melee  with  a  whole  skin. 

At  this  point,  when  victory  seemed  about  to  perch 
on  the  rebel  standard,  Alick,  who  had  thus  far  been 
ignored,  brought  down  a  third  guerilla  with  his  pis 
tol.  The  negro  was  cool,  collected,  and  self-pos 
sessed.  He  had  not  fired  before,  because  the  officers 
stood  between  him  and  the  assailants.  Now,  as  he 
had  no  sword,  he  stood  off,  and  took  deliberate  aim 
at  his  man. 

Captain  Barkwood,  who  was  a  man  of  immense 
muscle,  succeeded,  after  a  desperate  hand-to-hand 
conflict,  in  wounding  his  opponent  in  the  sword  arm. 
The  fellow  dropped  his  weapon,  and  turning  his 
horse,  fled  with  the  utmost  precipitation.  The  only 
remaining  one,  finding  himself  alone,  immediately 
followed  his  example.  The  battle  was  won,  and  the 
coats  and  boots  were  evidently  saved. 

"Why  don't  you  follow  them?"  cried  Major 
Riggleston,  rushing  madly  up  to  the  spot  at  this 
decisive  moment.  "  Hunt  them  down !  Tear  them 
to  pieces.** 

"  We'll  leave  that  for  our  fighting  man  to  do," 
replied  Somers,  with  a  smile,  though  he  was  so  much 
out  of  breath  with  the  violence  of  his  exertions  that 
he  could  scarcely  articulate  the  words. 


Fighting  Joe.  21 

"  Don't  let  them  escape,"  added  the  major,  furi 
ously.  "  Cut  them  down !  Don't  let  them  piundsr 
the  country  any  more." 

As  he  spoke,  he  put  spurs  to  his  horse,  and  dashed 
madly  up  the  road  in  pursuit  of  the  defeated  gueril 
las. 

"  Your  hand,  Captain  Somers,"  said  the  regular. 
"  You  are  a  trump." 

"  Thank  you  ;  and  I  am  happy  to  reciprocate  the 
compliment,"  replied  the  young  staff  officer,  as  he 
took  the  proffered  hand  of  Captain  Barkwood. 

"  As  a  general  rule,  I  don't  think  much  of  volun 
teer  officers,"  continued  the  regular ;  "  but  you  are 
a  stunning  good  fellow,  and  as  plucky  as  a  hen  that 
has  lost  one  of  her  chickens." 

"  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  your  good  opinion,  and 
especially  for  your  ornithological  simile,"  laughed 
Somers,  who,  we  need  not  add,  was  delighted  with 
the  conduct  of  his  companion. 

«My  what?" 

"  Your  ornithological  simile." 

"My  dear  fellow,  you  must  have  swallowed  a 
quarto  dictionary.  If  you  had  only  used  that  ex 
pression  before  the  fight,  the  rebels  would  certainly 
have  run  away,  and  declined  to  engage  a  man  who 
used  words  of  such  ominous  length.  No  matter ; 
you  can  fight." 

"I  can  when  I  am  obliged  to  do  so.  You  re 
marked,  a  little  while  ago,  that  you  were  a  coward 
by  nature." 

"  So  I  am ;  but  it  was  safer  to  fight  than  it  was 
to  run." 

"  You  did  not  behave  like  a  man  who  is  a  coward 
by  nature." 


22  Fighting  Joe. 

"  But  I  am  a  coward  ;  and  I  dislike  these  hand-to- 
hand  encounters." 

"  You  didn't  appear  to  dislike  them  very  much 
just  now,"  added  Somers,  who  was  filled  with  admi 
ration  at  the  gallant  bearing  of  the  regular. 

"  I  do ;  war  is  a  science.  I  play  at  it  just  as  I  do 
at  chess.  By  the  way,  Captain  Somers,  do  you  play 
chess  ?  " 

«  Only  a  little." 

"  Well,  it's  a  noble  game ;  and  I  may  have  the 
pleasure  of  letting  you  beat  me  some  time.  War  is 
like  chess ;  it's  a  great  game.  I  like  to  see  a  well- 
planned  battle,  and  even  to  take  part  in  it.  But 
these  little  affairs,  where  everything  depends  on 
brute  force,  are  my  particular  abomination.  There 
is  no  science  about  them — no  strategy — no  chance 
to  flank,  or  do  any  other  smart  thing." 

"  Here  comes  the  major ;  he  didn't  catch  his  man," 
said  Somers,  as  the  "  fighting  man  "  was  seen  gallop 
ing  towards  them. 

"  He's  a  prudent  man,"  replied  the  regular,  hardly 
betraying  the  contempt  he  felt  for  this  particular 
volunteer. 

"  He's  a  Maryland  man." 

"  So  am  I,"  promptly  returned  Captain  Barkwood, 
as  though  he  feared  that  something  might  be  said 
against  the  bravery  of  the  men  of  his  state.  "I 
was  born  and  brought  up  not  ten  miles  from  the 
spot  where  we  now  stand." 

"Why  didn't  you  follow  me?"  demanded  the 
major,  in  a  reproachful  tone,  as  he  reined  in  his 
panting  steed. 

"  We  had  got  enough  of  it,"  answered  the  regular. 

"  We  might  have  brought  them  down  if  you  had 
joined  me  in  the  pursuit." 


Fighting  Joe.  23 

"  We  might,  if  you  had  stuck  by  us  in  the  fight," 
said  Somers,  with  a  gentle  smile,  to  break  the  force 
of  the  rebuke. 

"  Stood  by  you  ?  "  exclaimed  Major  Riggleston, 
his  face  flushed  with  anger.  "  Do  you  intend  to  in 
sinuate  that  I  did  not  stand  by  you  ?  " 

"  You  did,  but  at  a  safe  distance." 

"Didn't  I  do  all  the  talking  with  the  villains?" 
foamed  the  major. 

"  Certainly  you  did,"  replied  the  regular. 

"  Didn't  I  bear  the  whole  brunt  of  the  assault  at 
the  beginning  ?  " 

"  Undoubtedly  you  did,"  responded  Captain  Bark- 
wood,  before  Somers  could  speak  a  word. 

«  Didn't  I  fight  like  a  tiger,  till—" 

"  Unquestionably  you  did." 

"  Till  my  rein  got  entangled  in  my  spur,  and 
whirled  my  horse  round  ?  " 

"  My  dear  major,  you  behaved  like  a  lion,"  said 
Barkwood,  in  tones  so  soothing  that  the  anger  of 
Riggleston  passed  away  like  the  shadow  of  a  sum 
mer  cloud. 

"  I  am  a  fighting  man." 

«  That's  so." 

"  And  I  dislike  this  marching  and  countermarch 
ing  in  the  face  of  an  enemy." 

"  There  we  unfortunately  disagree  for  the  first 
time.  That  is  strategy, — the  art  of  war, — and  all 
that  makes  war  glorious." 

"  I  believe  in  pitching  into  an  enemy,  and,  when 
he  is  beaten,  in  following  him  up  till  there  is  noth 
ing  left  of  him.  I  regret,  gentlemen,  that  you  did 
not  join  in  the  pursuit  of  the  two  miscreants  with 
me.  We  might  have  annihilated  them  as  well  as 
not." 


24  Fighting  Joe. 

Somers  did  not  understand  the  humor  of  the 
regular,  and  could  not  fathom  his  object  in  permit 
ting  the  coward  still  to  believe  that  he  was  a  fight- 
ting  man.  While  the  conversation  was  in  progress, 
Alick  had  removed  the  bodies  of  the  two  dead 
rebels  from  the  road,  and  placed  the  other  two,  who 
were  severely  wounded,  in  a  comfortable  position 
under  a  tree.  He  had  filled  their  canteens  with 
water  from  the  brook  which  ran  across  the  road  a 
short  distance  from  the  spot,  and  left  them  to  live 
or  die,  as  the  future  might  determine.  He  had  also 
transferred  a  good  saddle  from  one  of  the  guerillas' 
horses  to  his  own  animal,  which  had  not  before  been 
provided  with  one. 

The  party  moved  on  again.  Major  Riggleston 
talked  about  the  fight ;  for  some  reason  or  other  he 
could  speak  of  nothing  else.  He  still  called  himself 
a  fighting  man,  and  still  talked  as  though  he  had 
fired  the  most  effective  shots  and  struck  the  hardest 
blows  which  had  been  given.  The  regular  agreed 
with  him  in  all  things,  except  when  he  impugned 
the  sacred  claims  of  strategy. 

"  Never  cross  a  fool  in  his  folly,  nor  ruin  a  man 
in  his  own  estimation,"  said  Captain  Barkwood, 
when  Somers,  at  a  favorable  moment,  asked  an  ex 
planation  of  his  singular  commendation  of  the 
poltroon. 

"  But  he  is  a  coward." 

**  Call  no  man  a  coward  but  yourself.  There  is 
hardly  an  officer  in  the  army,  from  the  general-in- 
chief  down  to  the  corporal  of  the  meanest  regiment 
in  the  service,  that  has  not  been  called  a  coward. 
You  don't  know  who  are  cowards,  and  who  are 
not." 

"  Perhaps  you  are  right." 


Fighting  Joe.  25 

"  I  know  I  am.  I  am  a  coward  myself,  but  I 
know  nothing  about  anybody  else." 

**  I  differ  with  you." 

"  You  don't  know  anything  about  it.  The  major 
don't  love  you  over  much  now  for  what  you  hinted. 
Never  make  an  enemy  when  there  is  no  need  of 
it." 

The  approach  of  Major  Riggleston  put  an  end  to 
this  conversation.  Somers  could  not  help  noticing 
that  the  major  treated  him  rather  cavalierly ;  but 
as  he  was  not  particularly  anxious  to  secure  the 
esteem  of  such  a  man,  the  manner  of  his  companion 
did  not  disturb  him. 

In  the  afternoon  the  party  reached  Frederick, 
which  had  just  been  abandoned  by  Lee's  rear-guard, 
and  was  now  occupied  by  a  portion  of  McClellan's 
advance. 

"  Gentlemen,  we  have  had  a  hard  ride,  and  I 
know  you  must  be  tired  as  well  as  myself,"  said 
Major  Riggleston,  as  they  entered  the  city.  «  You 
will  permit  me  to  offer  you  the  hospitalities  of  my 
father's  house." 

"  Thank  you  ;  I  accept,  for  one,"  replied  Cap 
tain  Barkwood.  "I  am  not  tired,  but  I  am  half 
starved." 

"  And  you,  Somers  ? "  added  the  major,  with  a 
degree  of  cordiality  in  his  manner  which  he  had  not 
exhibited  since  the  skirmish  on  the  road. 

The  young  captain  had  been  in  the  saddle  all  day ; 
his  health  was  feeble,  and  he  was  very  much 
exhausted  by  the  journey.  He  had  hoped  to  reach 
the  headquarters  of  the  first  army  corps  that  night ; 
but  he  was  still  several  miles  distant  from  his  desti 
nation,  and  his  physical  condition  did  not  admit  of 
this  addition  to  his  day's  travel.  With  many 


26  Fighting  Joe. 

thanks  he  accepted  the  invitation,  apparently  so 
cordially  extended,  and  the  little  party  halted,  soon 
after,  in  the  grounds  of  an  elegant  mansion.  The 
tired  horses  were  given  into  the  keeping  of  the 
servants,  and  Major  Riggleston  led  the  way  into 
the  house. 

They  were  ushered  into  the  drawing-room,  where 
the  major  excused  himself  to  inform  the  family 
of  their  arrival.  He  left  the  door  open  hehind 
him. 

"  They  are  Yankee  officers ! "  exclaimed  a  female 
voice.  "  What  did  Fred  bring  them  here  for  ?  Get 
out  of  sight,  Ernest,  as  fast  as  you  can." 

A  door  leading  from  the  entry  closed,  and  the 
visitors  heard  no  more.  The  regular  paid  no  atten 
tion  to  the  remark,  and  Somers  followed  his 
example. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FIGHTING   JOB. 

CAPTAIN  SOMERS,  though  he  said  nothing  to  his 
companion  about  the  remark  to  which  they  had 
listened,  could  not  help  thinking  about  it.  The 
regular  and  himself  had  been  alluded  to  as  Yankee 
officers.  It  was  evident  that  some  one  was  present 
who  ought  not  to  be  present ;  but  as  a  guest  in  the 
house,  it  was  not  competent  for  him  to  investigate 
the  meaning  of  the  suspicious  words. 

Major  Riggleston  presently  returned  to  the  draw- 


Fighting  Joe.  27 

ing-room,  attended  by  an  elderly  gentleman,  whom 
he  introduced  as  his  father,  and  a  beautiful  but 
majestic  and  haughty  young  lady  of  eighteen,  whom 
he  introduced  as  Miss  Maud  Hasbrouk.  When 
Somers  heard  her  voice,  which  was  as  musical  as 
the  rippling  of  a  mountain  rill,  he  recognized  the 
tones  of  the  person  who  had  used  the  doubtful 
words  in  the  adjoining  room. 

The  old  gentleman  was  happy  to  see  the  visitors, 
especially  as  they  belonged  to  the  Union  army, 
whose  presence  was  welcome  to  him  after  the  visit 
of  the  rebels.  He  hoped  that  General  McClellan 
would  be  able  to  drive  the  invaders  from  the  soil — 
conquer,  capture,  and  exterminate  them.  His  words 
were  certainly  strong  enough  to  vouch  for  his 
loyalty ;  and  these,  added  to  the  fact  that  the  major 
was  an  officer  in  the  Maryland  Home  Brigade,  satis 
fied  Somers  that  he  had  not  fallen  into  a  nest  of 
rebels  and  traitors,  as  the  obnoxious  remark,  not 
intended  for  his  ears,  had  almost  led  him  to  believe. 

«*  The  more  true  men  we  have  here  the  better ; 
for  we  have  been  completely  overrun  by  traitors," 
said  the  old  gentleman,  alluding  to  the  visit  of  Lee's 
army. 

"  You  use  strong  words,  Mr.  Riggleston,"  added 
the  lady,  whose  bright  eyes  flashed  as  she  spoke. 

"  I  say  what  I  mean,"  continued  the  host. 

"  Is  there  any  doubt  of  the  fact  that  the  state  has 
been  invaded  by  the  rebels  ?  "  asked  Somers,  with  a 
smile. 

"  None  whatever ;  but  Mr.  Riggleston  called  them 
traitors,"  replied  Miss  Hasbrouk. 

« Is  there  any  doubt  of  that  fact  ?  " 

**  Are  men  who  are  fighting  for  the  dearest  rights 
of  man  traitors  ?  "  demanded  she,  warmly. 


28  Fighting  Joe. 

«  Undoubtedly  not.  But  the  rebels  are  not  fight 
ing  for  any  such  thing." 

ttl  beg  your  pardon,  Captain  Somers.  I  think 
they  are.  Permit  me  to  add,  that  I  am  a  rebel." 

"I  am  very  sorry  to  hear  it,"  laughed  Somers, 
pleased  with  the  spirit,  no  less  than  the  beauty,  of 
the  lady. 

"  I  suppose  you  are,"  replied  she.  "  The  South  is 
fighting  for  the  right  of  self-government — for  its 
own  existence.  The  right  of  secession  is  just  as 
evident  to  me  as  the  right  to  live." 

The  question  of  secession  was  fully  discussed  by 
the  lady  and  Somers,  but  both  of  them  were  in  the 
best  of  humor.  Neither  contestant  succeeded  in 
convincing  the  other  on  a  single  point ;  and  when 
the  party  were  called  to  supper,  they  had  advanced 
just  about  as  far  as  the  statesmen  had  when  the 
momentous  issue  was  handed  over  to  the  arbitra 
ment  of  arms.  It  was  a  matter  to  be  adjusted  by 
hard  fighting ;  and  as  Miss  Hasbrouk  and  Somers 
did  not  intend  to  settle  the  question  in  this  rude 
manner,  the  subject  was  dropped. 

The  family,  so  far  as  Somers  could  judge,  were 
loyal  people.  The  imperial  young  lady,  who  was  a 
fit  type  of  the  southern  character,  was  only  a  visitor. 
In  spite  of  her  proud  and  haughty  bearing,  she  was 
a  very  agreeable  person,  and  the  guests  enjoyed  her 
society. 

"  I  am  a  rebel,"  said  she,  as  they  sat  down  to  sup 
per  ;  "  but  I  am,  sorely  against  my  will,  I  confess,  a 
non-combatant,  and  we  are  now  on  neutral  ground. 
We  will  bury  our  differences,  then,  Captain  Somers, 
and  be  friends." 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  replied  the  gallant  young 
captain. 


Fighting  Joe.  29 

A  very  pleasant  evening  was  spent  in  the  draw 
ing-room,  during  which  Miss  Hasbrouk  affected  the 
company  of  Somers  rather  than  that  of  the  regular, 
.  who  appeared  to  be  as  stoical  in  society  as  he  was  on 
the  road.  She  was  lively,  witty,  and  fascinating,  and 
seemed  to  be  very  much  delighted  with  the  society 
of  the  young  staff  officer.  He  was  an  exceedingly 
good-looking  fellow,  it  is  true ;  but  he  was  a  Yankee, 
and  she  made  no  secret  of  her  aversion  to  Yankees 
in  general.  He  was  an  exception  to  the  rule,  and 
she  compelled  him  to  relate  the  history  of  his  brief 
compaign  at  Petersburg.  She  laughed  at  the 
chagrin  of  Dr.  Scoville,  when  his  invalid  took  to 
himself  wings  and  flew  away ;  but  she  took  no  pains 
to  conceal  her  sympathy  with  the  cause  of  the 
Confederacy. 

At  an  early  hour  the  officers  retired ;  and  as  they 
announced  their  intention  to  depart  at  daylight  in 
the  morning,  they  took  leave  of  the  ladies.  Miss 
Hasbrouk  was  so  kind  as  to  hope  she  might  meet 
the  captain  again;  for  notwithstanding  his  vile 
political  affinities,  he  was  a  sensible  person. 

Before  the  sun  rose,  Somers  and  the  regular  were 
in  the  saddle.  The  major,  whose  route  lay  in  a 
different  direction,  was  no  longer  their  companion. 
The  headquarters  of  the  first  army  corps  were  on 
I  the  Monocacy  ;  and  thither  the  travelers  wended 
their  way  through  a  beautiful  country,  which  ex 
cited  the  admiration  even  of  the  stoical  captain  of 
the  regulars,  though  it  was  no  new  scene  to  him. 

The  reveille  was  sounding  in  the  camps  of  the 
Pennsylvania  Reserves  as  they  passed  through  on 
their  way  to  the  tent  of  the  commanding  general. 
They  reached  their  destination,  and  their  names  were 
sent  in  by  an  orderly  in  attendance. 


3O  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Captain  Somers,  I  am  glad  to  see  you,"  said  the 
general,  at  a  later  hour,  when  they  obtained  an 
audience. 

"  Thank  you,  general ;  I  am  very  grateful  for  the 
kindness  and  consideration  you  have  bestowed  upon 
me,"  replied  Somers. 

"  You  are  an  aide-de-camp  now ;  but  I  ought  to 
say  that  I  gave  you  the  appointment  because  you  are 
a  good  fellow  on  a  scout." 

"  I  will  do  my  best  in  whatever  position  you  may 
place  me." 

"  You  were  rather  unfortunate  in  your  last  trip, 
but  you  accomplished  the  work  I  gave  you  to  do. 
We  shall  do  some  hard  fighting  in  a  day  or  two,  and 
there  will  be  sharp  work  for  you  before  that  comes 
off." 

"  I  am  ready,  general.  Every  man  is  ready  to 
march  or  fight  as  long  as  he  can  stand  while  you  are 
in  command." 

"  I  will  see  you  again  in  an  hour,  Somers,"  said  the 
general,  as  he  turned  to  Captain  Barkwood,  who  be 
longed  to  the  engineers,  and  had  been  assigned  to  a 
position  on  the  staff. 

Somers  soon  made  the  acquaintance  of  the  general's 
"  military  family."  His  position  and  rank  were  de 
fined  hi  the  general  orders,  and  duly  promulgated. 
From  those  around  him  he  obtained  all  the  current 
knowledge  in  regard  to  the  situation  of  the  rebel 
army,  which  was  posted  in  the  Catoctin  valley,  with 
the  South  Mountain  range  in  the  rear,  whose  gaps 
and  passes  it  was  to  defend. 

At  the  time  appointed  Captain  Somers  again  stood 
in  the  presence  of  the  general,  who  was  his  beau-ideal 
of  all  that  was  grand  and  heroic  in  the  military  chief 
tain.  He  was  a  tall,  straight,  well-formed  man,  with 


Fighting  Joe.  31 

a  ruddy  complexion,  flecked  with  little  thready  veins, 
and  a  muscular  frame.  His  eye  was  full  of  energy ; 
he  spoke  with  his  eye  as  much  as  with  his  voice. 
His  military  history  was  familiar  to  the  nation.  He 
was  a  decided  man,  and  his  decision  had  won  him  his 
first  appointment  in  the  army.  He  said  what  he 
meant,  and  meant  what  he  said.  His  energy  of  char 
acter  had  made  him  a  success  from  the  beginning. 
His  faith  in  himself  and  his  faith  in  the  loyal  army 
were  unbounded.  He  fought  and  conquered  by  the 
force  of  his  mighty  will.  He  attempted  only  what 
was  possible,  and  triumphed  through  the  faith  of  an 
earnest  soul.  His  military  judgment  was  of  the 
highest  order,  and  when  he  had  decided  what  could 
be  done,  he  did  it.  His  conclusions,  however  sud 
denly  reached,  were  not  the  offspring  of  impulse ; 
they  were  carefully  drawn  from  well-founded  prem 
ises.  His  quick  eye  and  his  solid  judgment  rapidly 
collated  all  the  facts  in  regard  to  an  enemy's  strength, 
relative  situation,  and  advantage  of  position ;  and 
from  them  he  promptly  deduced  the  conclusion 
whether  to  fight  or  not— how,  when,  and  where  to 
fight. 

The  general's  pet  name  was  "  Fighting  Joe  ";  and 
by  this  appellation  he  was  known  and  loved  in  the 
army.  But  he  was  not  a  rash  man ;  he  made  no 
unconsidered  movements.  If  the  term  implies  rash 
ness  and  blundering  impetuosity,  it  is  a  misnomer ; 
but,  after  Willamsburg,  Glendale,  Malvern,  South 
Mountain,  Antietam,  Lookout  Mountain,  who  could 
mistake  its  meaning  ?  for  his  battles  were  too  uni 
formly  successful  to  be  the  issues  of  merely  headlong 
courage  and  unmatured  strategy.  All  his  operations 
on  the  splendid  fields  where  he  has  so  gloriously  dis 
tinguished  himself,  exhibit  a  he  ;d  as  well  as  an  arm ; 


32  Fighting  Joe. 

carefully  considered  plan,  as  well  as  bold  and  deter 
mined  execution. 

The  mention  of  "  Fighting  Joe  "  warmed  the  hearts 
of  the  soldiers.  He  was  more  popular  than  any  other 
general  in  the  army.  Our  soldiers  were  thinking 
men,  as  well  as  brave  ones.  They  could  not  love  and 
honor  a  general  who  led  them  into  the  forefront  of 
battle  to  be  entrapped  and  sacrificed.  They  could 
not  believe  in  a  man  whose  highest  recommendation 
was  brute  courage.  "  Fighting  Joe  "  was  one  of  the 
ablest  strategists  in  the  army  ;  and,  wherever  he  has 
justified  his  title  as  a  fighting  man,  he  has  also  dis 
played  the  highest  skill  and  judgment,  and  a  pro 
found  knowledge  and  appreciation  of  the  science  of 
war. 

Somers  stood  before  the  general  with  a  certain  feel 
ing  of  awe  and  reverence,  which  one  experiences  in 
the  presence  of  a  truly  great  man.  There  was  no 
time  to  talk  of  the  past,  for  the  present  and  the 
future  were  full  of  trials  and  cares — were  full  of  a 
nation's  life  and  hope.  Fighting  Joe  was  cool  and 
self-possessed,  as  he  always  was,  even  in  the  mad  rage 
of  the  hottest  fight ;  but  he  was  earnest  and  anxious. 
He  was  even  now  doing  that  work  which  wins  battles 
quite  as  much  as  the  fiery  onslaught. 

Burnside  was  in  command  of  the  right  wing  of  the 
army,  which  occupied  the  vicinity  of  Frederick. 
The  rebels  had  just  been  driven  out  of  Middletown, 
and  the  cannon  was  roaring  beyond  Catoctin  Creek ; 
but  it  was  evident  to  the  general  that  no  pitched 
battle  could  take  place  that  day.  He  wanted  certain 
information,  which  he  thought  Captain  Somers  was 
smart  enough  to  procure  for  him.  A  map  lay  on  the 
table  in  the  tent,  and  in  a  few  telling  words  he  ex 
plained  what  he  wanted. 


Fighting  Joe.  33 

"  Don't  be  rash,  Somers,"  said  he,  as  the  aide-de 
camp  rose  to  depart.  "  Intelligent  courage  is  what 
we  want.  I  shall  depend  upon  you  for  skill  and  dis 
cretion  as  well  as  dash  and  boldness." 

"  I  will  do  the  best  I  can,"  replied  the  captain,  as 
he  left  the  tent  and  mounted  his  horse. 

He  dashed  off  towards  Middletown,  as  the  army 
commenced  its  march  in  the  same  direction.  He 
reached  this  place  before  noon,  and  agreeably  to  his 
instructions,  pursued  a  northerly  course,  until  he 
reached  a  point  beyond  the  active  operations  of 
Pleasanton's  cavalry,  which  was  scouring  the  coun 
try.  Leaving  his  horse  at  a  farmhouse,  he  advanced 
on  foot  to  the  westward  of  the  creek,  until  he  dis 
covered  the  outposts  of  the  rebel  army.  Small 
squads  of  Confederate  cavalry  were  beating  about 
this  region,  and  Somers  was  obliged  to  dodge  them 
several  times.  But  he  obtained  his  information,  and 
fully  acquainted  himself  with  the  nature  of  the 
country,  and  the  situation  of  the  rebels  to  the  north 
of  the  Cumberland  road. 

It  was  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  when  he  had 
completed  his  reconnaissance,  and  he  was  nearly 
exhausted  by  the  long  walk  he  had  taken,  and  the 
excitement  of  his  occupation.  He  was  at  least  two 
miles  from  the  farmhouse  where  he  had  left  his 
horse.  He  had  eaten  nothing  since  breakfast,  and 
he  was  faint  for  the  want  of  food.  He  walked  one 
mile,  and  stopped  to  rest  near  an  elegant  mansion, 
which  evidently  belonged  to  one  of  the  grandees 
of  Maryland.  He  was  tempted  to  visit  the  house 
and  procure  some  refreshment ;  but,  as  he  was 
alone,  and  knew  nothing  of  the  political  status 
of  the  occupants,  he  did  not  deem  it  prudent  to  do 
so. 


34  Fighting  Joe. 

After  resting  a  short  time,  he  rose  and  continued 
his  weary  walk  towards  the  farmhouse.  As  LB 
passed  the  door  of  the  elegant  mansion,  a  caaise 
stopped  at  the  gate,  and  a  young  officer  handed  a 
lady  from  the  vehicle.  A  servant  led  the  horse 
away.  The  lady  paused  at  the  gate,  and  appeared 
to  be  observing  him.  Somers  could  think  of  no 
reason  why  the  lady  should  watch  him,  and  he  con 
tinued  on  his  course  till  he  came  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  spot  where  she  stood. 

"  Captain  Somers !  "  exclaimed  she ;  "  I  am  de 
lighted  to  see  you  again  so  soon." 

"  Miss  Hasbrouk,"  replied  he,  not  a  little  surprised 
to  find  in  her  his  rebel  friend,  whom  he  had  met  in 
Frederick  the  preceding  evening. 

"  This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure,"  added  she,  ex 
tending  her  hand,  which  the  young  man  took. 

"  I  should  hardly  have  expected  to  meet  you  at 
this  distance  from  Frederick." 

"  O,  I  reside  here ;  this  is  my  father's  house.  You 
are  some  distance  from  the  Yankee  army." 

"  As  you  are  a  rebel,  it  is  hardly  proper  for  me  to 
inform  you  why  I  happen  to  be  here,"  laughed 
he.  "I  am  an  invalid,  and  am  walking  for  my 
health." 

"It  is  well  you  are  away  from  your  army,  for  they 
will  all  be  captured  in  a  few  days." 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  I  shall  be  with  the  army 
before  night." 

"  This  is  Major  Riggleston,"  said  she,  turning  to 
the  gentleman,  who  had  followed  the  servant  to  the 
stable,  and  had  just  returned. 

"  How  do  you  do,  again,  major  ?  "  said  Somers. 

"Happy  to  meet  you,  Captain  Somers,"  replied 
the  major,  not  very  cordially. 


Fighting  Joe.  35 

"Now  you  must  come  into  the  house,  Captain 
Somers.  It  is  just  dinner  time  with  us,"  continued 
the  lady. 

Somers  was  too  faint  and  hungry  to  refuse. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

MISS    MAUD    HASBBOUK. 

THE  lady  conducted  Captain  Somers  to  the  sit 
ting-room  of  the  house.  He  was  followed  by  Major 
Riggleston,  who,  judging  by  his  looks  and  actions, 
regarded  the  staff  officer  with  no  special  favor. 
Miss  Hasbrouk  did  all  the  talking,  however,  and 
seemed  to  do  it  for  the  purpose  of  keeping  the  major 
in  the  shade,  for  she  carefully  turned  aside  two  or 
three  observations  he  made,  as  though  they  were  of 
no  consequence,  or  as  though  the}7  might  provoke 
an  unpleasant  discussion. 

"  I  am  particularly  delighted  to  meet  you  again, 
Captain  Somers,"  said  the  imperial  beauty,  as  they 
entered  the  apartment. 

"  Thank  you,"  replied  he ;  though  he  could  see  no 
good  reason  why  Miss  Maud  Hasbrouk  should  be 
particularly  delighted  to  see  him. 

He  was  a  Union  man  and  a  loyal  soldier,  while 
she  was  a  rebel,  with  strength  of  mind  enough  to 
regret  that  her  sex  compelled  her  to  be  a  non-com 
batant.  She  was  a  magnificent  creature,  even  to 
Somers,  whose  knowledge  of  the  higher  order  of 
beauties  that  float  about  in  the  mists  of  fashionable 
society  was  very  limited.  She  was  fascinating,  and 


36  Fighting  Joe. 

he  could  not  resist  the  charm  of  her  society ;  albeit 
in  the  present  instance  he  was  too  much  exhausted 
by  ill  health  and  over-exertion  to  be  very  brilliant 
himself. 

"This  is  very  unexpected,  considering  the  dis 
tance  from  the  place  at  which  I  met  you  last  even 
ing,"  said  he. 

"  O,  it  isn't  a  very  great  distance  to  Frederick. 
The  major  drove  me  over  in  three  hours,*'  replied 
she. 

"  Three  and  a  half,  Maud,"  interposed  the  major, 
apparently  because  he  felt  the  necessity  of  saying 
something  to  avoid  being  regarded  as  a  mere  cipher. 

"  How  do  you  feel  to-day,  after  the  little  brush  we 
had  yesterday,  major  ?  "  added  Somers,  turning  to 
the  gentleman. 

"  What  brush  do  you  refer  to  ?  "  asked  Major  Rig- 
gleston,  rather  coldly. 

"  The  little  rub  we  had  with  the  guerillas." 

"  Really,  you  have — " 

"  Now,  gentlemen,  will  you  excuse  me  for  a  few 
moments?"  said  Miss  Hasbrouk,  very  impolitely 
breaking  in  upon  the  major's  remark. 

"Certainly,"  replied  Somers,  with  his  politest 
bow.  "  You  are  a  fighting  man,  Major  Riggleston ; 
and  the  affair  of  yesterday  was  pretty  sharp  work 
for  a  few  minutes." 

"  Of  course  I'm  a  fighting  man  ;  but — 

«'  Major,  you  promised  me  something,  you  will  re 
member,"  said  the  lady,  who  still  lingered  in  the 
room ;  "  and  now  is  the  best  time  in  the  world  to 
redeem  your  promise." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Maud?"  demanded  the 
major. 

"Why,  don't  you  remember ?  " 


Fighting  Joe.  37 

«  Upon  my  life  I  don't." 

"  Perhaps  Captain  Somers  will  excuse  you  for  a 
few  moments,  while  I  refresh  your  memory." 

"Certainly;  to  be  sure,"  added  the  polite  staff 
officer. 

He  moved  towards  the  door  at  which  the  lady 
stood.  Somers  saw  her  whisper  something  to  him  as 
she  took  him  familiarly  by  the  arm. 

"  O,  yes,  I  remember  all  about  it  now  1 "  ex 
claimed  he,  with  sudden  vivacity.  "  I  will  return 
in  a  few  moments,  Captain  Somers,  if  you  will  ex 
cuse  me." 

"  By  all  means ;  don't  let  me  interfere  with  any 
arrangement  you  have  made." 

They  retired,  and  the  door  closed  behind  them. 
Somers  was  not  a  little  befogged  by  the  conduct  of 
both  the  lady  and  the  gentleman.  Several  times 
she  had  interrupted  him,  and  the  major  had  an  as 
tonishingly  bad  memory.  He  seemed  not  to  re 
member  even  the  skirmish  on  the  road ;  and  he  was 
equally  unmindful  of  what  had  passed  between  him 
and  the  lady  at  some  period  antecedent  to  the 
present. 

They  were  quite  intimate  ;  and,  slightly  versed  as 
the  young  officer  was  in  affairs  of  love  and  matri 
mony,  he  had  no  difficulty  in  arriving  at  the  con 
clusion  that  the  interesting  couple  who  had  just  left 
him  were  more  than  friends;  and  though  he  had 
not  the  skill  to  determine  what  particular  point  in 
tbe  courtship  they  had  reached,  he  ventured  to  be 
lieve  they  were  engaged.  Though  it  was  rather  a 
rash  and  unauthorized  conclusion,  it  was  a  correct 
one ;  showing  that  young  men  know  some  things 
by  intuition. 

Somehow  Major  Riggleston  did  not  appear  exactly 


38  Fighting  Joe. 

as  he  had  appeared  the  preceding  day.  His  uniform 
did  not  look  quite  so  bright ;  his  manner  was  more 
brusque  and  less  polished ;  and  he  spoke  with  a 
heavier  and  more  solid  tone.  But  men  are  not 
always  the  same  on  one  day  that  they  are  on  anc  ther ; 
and  it  was  quite  probable  that  the  major  was  suffer 
ing  for  the  want  of  his  dinner,  or  from  some  vexa 
tion  not  apparent  to  the  casual  observer. 

Somers  wanted  his  dinner ;  not  as  an  epicure  is 
impatient  for  the  feast  which  is  to  tickle  his  palate, 
but  as  a  man  who  knows  and  feels  that  meat  is 
strength.  His  health  was  not  yet  sufficiently  es 
tablished  to  enable  him  to  endure  the  hardship  of 
an  empty  stomach ;  for  his  muscles  seemed,  in  his 
present  weak  state,  to  derive  their  power  more 
directly  than  usual  from  that  important  organ.  He 
did  not,  therefore,  worry  himself  to  obtain  a  solution 
of  what  was  singular  in  the  conduct  of  the  lady  and 
her  lover. 

They  were  absent  but  a  few  moments  before  the 
major  returned.  If  he  had  been  gone  seven  years, 
and  passed  through  a  Parisian  polishing  school  in 
the  interim,  his  tone  and  his  manner  could  not  have 
been  more  effectually  changed.  He  looked  and 
acted  more  like  the  Major  Riggleston  of  yesterday. 
He  was  all  suavity  now ;  and,  what  was  vastly  more 
remarkable,  his  memory  was  as  perfect  as  though  he 
had  made  mnemonics  the  study  of  a  lifetime.  He 
remembered  all  about  the  skirmish  on  the  road,  and 
even  recalled  incidents  connected  with  that  affair  of 
which  Somers  was  profoundly  ignorant. 

**  Captain  Somers,  that  was  the  hardest  fight  for 
a  little  one  I  ever  happened  to  be  in,"  said  the 
major,  after  the  event  had  been  thoroughly  re 
hearsed. 


Fighting  Joe.  39 

"  It  was  sharp  for  a  few  moments.  By  the  way, 
major,  what  is  your  opinion  of  Alick  now  ?  "  asked 
Somers. 

"  Well,  I  was  rather  surprised  to  see  him  go  in  as 
he  did.  He  is  a  brave  fellow." 

"  So  he  is ;  I  did  not  know  whether  he  would  fight 
or  not ;  but  I  thought  he  would." 

"  O,  I  was  sure  of  it." 

"Were  you?  Before  the  fight  you  seemed  to  be 
of  the  opinion  that  he  was  of  no  account." 

"  That  was  said  concerning  niggers  in  general.  I 
always  had  a  great  deal  of  confidence  in  Alick. 
When  he  fired  his  gun  I  knew  what  the  boy 
meant." 

"  His  pistol,  you  mean  ;  he  had  no  gun." 

"  You  are  right ;  it  was  a  pistol,"  said  the  major, 
with  more  confusion  than  this  trifling  inaccuracy 
justified. 

"  In  the  pursuit  of  the  guerillas — " 

"  Yes,  in  the  pursuit  Alick  was  splendid,"  con- 
tinued  Riggleston,  taking  the  words  out  of  Somers's 
mouth. 

"You  forget,  major ;  you  conducted  the  pursuit 
alone,"  mildly  added  the  staff  officer. 

"  O,  yes !  so  I  did.  I  am  mixing  up  this  matter 
with  another  affair,  in  which  my  boy  Mingo  chased 
the  Yankees — " 

"Chased  the  what?"  interposed  Somers,  con 
founded  by  this  singular  and  inappropriate  remark. 

"The  guerillas,  I  said,"  laughed  the  major. 
«  What  did  you  think  I  said  ?  " 

"  I  understood  you  to  say  the  Yankees." 

"  O,  no !  Yankees  ?  No ;  I  am  one  myself.  I 
said  guerillas." 

"  If  you  did,  I  misunderstood  you." 


4O  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Of  course  I  didn't  say  Yankees.  That  is  quite 
impossible." 

Somers  was  disposed  to  be  polite,  even  at  the 
sacrifice  of  the  point  of  veracity ;  therefore  he  did 
not  contradict  his  companion,  though  he  felt  en 
tirely  certain  in  regard  to  the  language  used. 

"  Of  course  you  could  not  have  meant  Yankees, 
whatever  you  said,"  added  Somers. 

"Certainly  not.  Do  you  know  why  I  didn't 
catch  those — those  guerillas  ?  "  continued  the  major. 

"  I  do  not,"  replied  Somers ;  but  he  had  a  strong 
suspicion  that  it  was  because  he  did  not  want  to 
catch  them ;  because  it  would  have  been  imprudent 
for  him  to  catch  them ;  because  it  would  have  been 
in  the  highest  degree  dangerous  for  him  to  catch 
them. 

« I'll  tell  you  why  I  didn't  catch  them,"  added 
the  major,  rubbing  his  hands  as  a  man  does  when 
he  has  a  point  to  make.  "  It  was  because  their 
horses  went  faster  than  mine." 

"  Good  ! "  exclaimed  Somers,  who  had  the  judg 
ment  to  perceive  that  this  answer  was  intended  as 
a  joke,  and  who  was  politic  enough  to  render  the 
homage  due  to  such  a  tremendous  effort — a  laugh 
as  earnest  as  the  circumstances  would  permit. 

"  Or  possibly  it  was  because  my  horse  went  slower 
than  theirs,"  added  the  major,  with  the  evident  de 
sign  of  perpetrating  a  joke  even  more  stupendous 
than  the  last. 

We  beg  to  suggest  to  our  readers,  young  and  old, 
that  a  person  lays  himself  open  more  by  his  jokes, 
his  puns,  and  his  witticisms,  than  by  any  other 
means  of  communication  between  one  soul  and  an 
other  with  which  we  are  acquainted.  Hear  a  man 
talk  about  business,  politics,  morality,  or  religion, 


Fighting  Joe.  41 

And  you  have  a  very  inadequate  idea  of  his  moral 
and  mental  resources.  Hear  him  jest,  hear  him 
make  a  pun,  hear  him  indulge  in  a  witticism,  and 
you  have  his  brains  mapped  out  before  you.  We 
have  heard  a  man  get  off  a  witticism,  and  felt  an 
infinite  contempt  for  him ;  we  have  heard  a  man 
get  off  a  witticism,  and  felt  a  profound  respect  for 
him.  It  is  not  the  thing  said  ;  it  is  not  the  manner 
in  which  it  is  said ;  it  is  not  the  look  with  which  it 
is  said.  It  is  all  three  combined.  He  who  would 
conceal  himself  from  those  around  him  should 
neither  get  drunk  nor  attempt  to  be  funny. 

Major  Riggleston  had  revealed  himself  to  Captain 
Somers  more  completely  in  that  unguarded  joke 
than  in  all  that  had  passed  between  them  before.  The 
young  staff  officer  was  not  a  moral  nor  a  mental 
philosopher  ;  but  that  agonizing  jest  had  given  him 
a  poorer  opinion  of  his  companion  than  he  had  be 
fore  entertained.  It  was  fortunate  for  the  major 
that  Miss  Hasbrouk  returned  before  he  had  an  op 
portunity  to  launch  another  witticism  upon  the  sea 
of  the  captain's  charity,  or  the  latter  might  have 
prematurely  learned  to  despise  him. 

"  We  have  not  lately  been  honored  by  the  volun 
tary  presence  of  gentlemen  at  dinner,  Captain 
Somers ;  and  you  will  pardon  me  for  lingering  an 
extra  moment  before  my  glass,"  said  the  merry 
lady. 

"  Happy  glass !  "  replied  Somers. 

"  Thank  you,  captain ;  that  was  very  pretty." 

"  Excellent !  "  added  the  major,  who  seemed  to 
be  hungering  and  thirsting  for  something  funny  or 
smart. 

A  bell  rang  in  the  hall,  which  Somers  took  to 
be  the  summons  for  dinner ;  and  he  was  thankful, 


42  Fighting  Joe. 

and  took  courage  accordingly ;  for  however  much 
be  enioyed  the  society  of  the  fascinating  Maud,  he 
could  not  forget  that  he  owed  a  solemn  duty  to 
the  outraged  member  of  his  body  corporate,  which 
had  been  kept  fasting  since  an  early  breakfast 


hour. 


«  Now  gentlemen,  shall  I  have  the  pleasure  of 
conducting  you  to  the  dining-room  ?  "  continued  Miss 
Hasbrouk. 

"  Thank  you." 

"Your  arm,  if  you  please,  Captain  Somers,    said 

the  brilliant  lady. 

Of  course  Somers  complied  with  this  reasonable 
request  though   he  had  not  been  in  the  habit  p 
observing  these  little  courtesies  at  the  cottage  . 
Pmchbrook,  nor  even  in  some  of  the  best  regulated 
families  at  the  Harbor,  making  no  little  pretensions 
to  gentility.    It  seemed  to  him  that  it  would  have 
been  more  proper,  in  the  present  instance,  and  with 
the  supposed  relation   between  them,  for  the 
to  take  the  arm  of  the  gentleman  to  whom  she  was 
engaged;  but  he  had  not  very  recently  read  any 
book  on  the  etiquette  of  good  society,  and  he  was 
utterly  unable  to  settle  the  difficult  question. 

Thev  passed  through  the  hall  and  entered  the 
dining-room.     The  table  was  laid  for  only  three; 
and  while  Somers  was  wondering  where  the  res 
the  family  were,  a  tremendous  knocking  was  hear* 


at  «tmeTodyTsrm  earnest,"  said  Maud.   •  He  knocks 
like  a  sheriff  who  comes  with  authority.    Take 

"  Thank  you  Miss  Hasbrouk,"  replied  Somers,  as 
he  took  the  appointed  place. 

« I  hope  that  isn't  any  one  after  me,"  added  the 


Fighting  Joe.  43 

major,  as  he  seated  himself  opposite  to  Somers.  "I 
don't  want  to  lose  my  dinner." 

"  You  shall  not  lose  it,  major,"  answered  Maud, 
as  a  colored  servant  entered  the  room  with  a  salver 
in  his1  hand,  on  which  lay  a  letter. 

" }  ;>r  Major  Riggleston,"  said  the  man,  as  he 
presented  the  salver  to  him. 

The  major  took  the  letter  and  broke  the  seal, 
apologizing  to  Somers  for  doing  so.  His  eyes  sud 
denly  opened  wider  than  their  natural  spread,  and 
his  chin  dropped  till  mouth  and  eyes  were  both 
eloquent  with  astonishment.  He  sprang  out  of  his 
chair,  and  assumed  an  attitude  in  the  highest  degree 
dramatic.  Somers  almost  expected  him  to  perpe 
trate  a  witticism. 

"  What  is  it,  major  ? "  demanded  Maud,  who 
seemed  to  be  enduring  the  most  agonizing  suspense. 

"  I  must  go  this  instant !  "  exclaimed  the  major, 
still  gazing  at  the  momentous  letter. 

"  What  has  happened  ?  " 

"  Don't  ask  me,  Maud,"  answered  he,  in  excited 
tones.  "  I  will  be  back  before  night ;  perhaps  in  an 
hour.  You  will  excuse  me,  Captain  Somers." 

"  Certainly,"  replied  Somers. 

The  major  rushed  to  the  door,  cramming  the 
letter  into  his  pocket,  or  attempting  to  do  so,  as  he 
moved  off.  The  document  fell  on  the  floor  without 
the  owner's  notice. 

"  What  can  it  mean  ? "  said  Maud,  with  a  troubled 
look. 

Soraers  did  not  know  what  it  meant ;  if  he  had,  it 
is  doubtful  whether  he  would  have  had  the  temerity 
to  stop  to  dinner. 


44  Fighting  Joe. 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    BOOT   ON    ONE    LEG. 

"  WHAT  can  have  happened  ?  "  said  Maud,  appa 
rently  musing  on  the  event  which  had  just  trans 
pired.  "  The  major  is  not  often  moved  so  deeply 
as  he  appeared  to  be  just  now." 

"Something  of  importance,  evidently,"  said 
Somers.  "  He  has  dropped  the  letter  on  the  floor." 

"  So  he  has,"  said  she,  glancing  at  the  document. 
"  Thus  far  I  have  resisted  the  propensity  of  Mother 
Eve  to  know  more  than  the  law  allows  ;  and  I  think 
I  will  not  yield  to  it  now.  It  would  hardly  be 
honorable  for  me  to  read  the  letter  after  the  major 
has  declined  to  inform  me  what  has  occurred.  But, 
whatever  it  may  be,  we  will  have  some  dinner." 

Whatever  opinions  Somers  may  have  entertained 
on  some  of  the  other  points  suggested  by  the  fair 
hostess,  he  had  none  in  regard  to  the  last  proposi 
tion.  He  was  absolutely  and  heartily  in  favor  of 
the  dinner,  without  regard  to  Mother  Eve's  curiosity, 
or  her  favored  representative  then  before  him.  The 
dinner  was  a  good  one,  though  the  rebels  had  so 
recently  gathered  up  all  the  provision  which  the 
country  appeared  to  contain.  With  every  mouthful 
that  he  ate  Somers's  strength  seemed  mysteriously 
to  return  to  him. 

The  dinner  was  not  so  formal  as  might  have  been 
expected  in  the  house  of  a  Maryland  grandee,  and 
did  not  occupy  over  half  an  hour ;  but  in  that  half 


Fighting  Joe.  45 

hour  he  had  grown  strong  and  vigorous  again,  and 
felt  equal  to  any  emergency  which  might  occur. 
However  agreeable  the  society  of  the  fascinating 
Maud  had  proved,  he  began  to  be  very  impatient  for 
the  moment  when  he  could,  without  outraging  the 
laws  of  propriety,  break  the  spell  which  bound  him. 
He  had  faithfully  discharged  his  duty  to  the  inner 
man,  and  he  bethought  him  that  he  owed  another  and 
higher  obligation  to  his  country;  that  the  command 
ing  general  of  the  first  army  corps  was  expecting  to 
hear  from  him,  though  the  time  given  him  to  com 
plete  his  mission  had  not  yet  expired. 

While  he  was  considering  some  fit  excuse  with 
which  to  tear  himself  away  from  his  interesting 
companion, — for  it  was  not  prudent  to  inform  an 
avowed  rebel  lady  that  he  had  been  engaged  in  col 
lecting  information  for  the  use  of  a  Union  general, 
and  must  return  to  report  the  result  of  his  mission, 
— while  he  was  thinking  what  he  should  say  to  her, 
he  heard  something  which  sounded  marvelously  like 
the  tramp  of  horses'  feet  on  the  walks  which  sur 
rounded  the  mansion.  These  sounds  might  have 
been  sufficient  to  create  a  tempest  of  alarm  in  his 
mind  if  he  had  not  believed  that  he  was  far  enough 
from  the  camps  of  the  rebels  to  insure  the  estate 
from  a  visit  of  their  cavalry.  He  did  not  know  ex 
actly  where  he  was  in  relation  to  the  line  of  either 
army ;  but  he  felt  a  reasonable  assurance  that  he 
was  out  of  the  reach  of  danger  from  the  enemy. 

He  listened,  therefore,  with  tolerable  coolness,  to 
the  clatter  of  the  horses'  feet,  and  finally  concluded 
that  the  animals  belonged  to  the  estate.  This  con 
clusion,  however,  was  soon  unpleasantly  disturbed 
by  other  and  more  suspicious  sounds  than  the  tramp 
of  horses — sounds  like  the  clatter  and  clang  of 


46  Fighting  Joe. 

cavalry  equipments.  More  than  this,  Maud  looked 
anxious  and  excited,  when  there  appeared  to  be  not 
the  least  reason  for  anxiety  and  excitement  on  her 
part. 

"  Won't  you  take  another  peach,  captain  ?  "  said 
she,  glancing  uneasily  at  the  window,  and  then  at 
the  door. 

"  No  more,  I  thank  you,  Miss  Hasbrouk,"  replied 
Soiners.  "You  seem  to  be  having  more  visitors." 

**  No,  I  think  not,"  answered  she,  with  assumed 
carelessness. 

"  What  is  the  meaning  of  those  sounds,  then  ?  " 

tt  They  are  nothing ;  perhaps  some  of  the  servants 
leading  the  horses  down  to  the  meadow." 

"Do  your  horses  wear  cavalry  trappings,  Miss 
Hasbrouk?" 

«*  Not  that  I  am  aware  of.  Do  you  think  there  is 
any  cavalry  around  the  house  ?  " 

"  I  am  decidedly  of  that  opinion ;  and,  with  your 
permission,  I  will  step  out  and  learn  the  occasion  of 
this  visit,"  said  he,  rising  from  the  table,  and  making 
sure  that  the  two  revolvers  he  wore  in  his  belt  were 
in  working  order. 

"  I  beg  you  will  not  leave  me,  Captain  Somers," 
remonstrated  Maud. 

"  I  only  wish  to  ascertain  what  the  cavalry  are." 

"I  depend  upon  you  for  protection,  captain," 
said  she,  as  she  rose  from  her  seat  at  the  table. 
"  Ah,  here  comes  some  one,  who  will  explain  it  all 
to  you,"  she  added,  as  the  front  door  was  heard  to 
open  rather  violently. 

"  I  think  it  won't  need  much  explanation,"  replied 
Somers,  as  through  the  window  he  discovered  two 
gray-back  cavalrymen.  "It  is  quite  evident  that 
the  house  is  surrounded  by  rebel  cavalry." 


Fighting  Joe.  47 

At  this  moment  the  door  of  the  dining-room 
opened,  and  Major  Riggleston  stalked  into  the 
apartment.  He  looked  at  Somers,  and  then  at  the 
lady.  The  troubled,  astonished  expression  on  his 
face  when  he  went  away  had  disappeared,  and  he 
wore  what  the  staff  officer  could  not  help  interpret 
ing  as  a  smile  of  triumph. 

"  Well,  Maud,  how  is  it  now  ?  "  asked  the  major, 
as  for  the  sixth  time,  at  least,  he  glanced  from 
Somers  to  her. 

The  brilliant  beauty  made  no  reply  to  this  indef 
inite  question.  Instead  of  speaking  as  a  civilized 
lady  should  when  addressed  by  her  accepted  lover, 
she  threw  herself  into  a  chair  with  an  abandon 
which  would  have  been  creditable  in  a  first  lady  in 
a  first-class  comedy,  but  which  was  highly  discred 
itable  in  a  first-class  lady  discharging  only  the  duties 
of  the  social  amenities  in  refined  society.  She  threw 
herself  into  a  chair,  and  laughed  as  though  she  had 
been  suddenly  seized  with  a  fit  of  that  playful 
species  of  hysterics  which  manifests  itself  in  the 
cachinnatory  tendency  of  the  patient. 

Somers  was  surprised.  A  less  susceptible  person 
than  himself  would  have  been  surprised  to  see  an 
elegant  and  accomplished  lady  laugh  so  violently, 
when  there  was  apparently  nothing  in  the  world  to 
laugh  at.  He  could  not  understand  it ;  a  wiser  and 
more  experienced  person  than  Somers  could  not  un 
derstand  it.  He  knew  about  CEdipus,  and  the 
Sphinx's  riddle  which  he  solved;  but  if  CEdipus 
had  been  there,  in  that  mansion  of  a  Maryland 
grandee,  Somers  would  have  defied  him  to  solve  the 
riddle  of  Miss  Maud  Hasbrouk's  inordinate,  exces 
sive,  hysterical  laughter.  If  Major  Riggleston,  from 
the  great  repository  of  unborn  humor  in  his  subtle 


48  Fighting  Joe. 

brain,  had  launched  forth  one  of  the  most  tremend 
ous  of  his  thunderbolts  of  wit,  the  mystery  would 
have  solved  itself.  If  the  major  had  uttered  any 
thing  but  the  most  commonplace  and  easily  inter 
preted  remark,  Somers  might  have  believed  that  he 
had  perpetrated  a  joke  which  he  was  not  keen 
enough  to  perceive. 

The  house  was  surrounded  by  rebel  cavalry ;  that 
was  no  joke  to  him;  it  could  be  no  joke  to  the 
major,  for  he  was  an  officer  in  the  Maryland  Home 
Brigade,  "on  detached  service,"  and  what  proved 
dangerous  or  fatal  to  one  must  prove  dangerous  or 
fatal  to  the  other.  But  Riggleston  did  not  seem  in 
the  least  disturbed  by  the  circumstance  that  the 
house  was  environed  by  Confederate  cavalry.  He 
stood  looking  at  his  lady-love,  as  thouph  he  was 
waiting  her  next  move  in  the  development  of  the 
game. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at,  Maud  ?  "  asked  he, 
when  he  had  watched  her  until  his  own  patience 
was  somewhat  tried,  and  that  of  Somers  had  become 
decidedly  shaky. 

"Isn't  it  funny?"  gasped  she,  struggling  for 
utterance  between  the  spasms  of  laughter. 

"  Yes,  it  is,  very  funny,"  replied  he,  obediently, 
though  it  was  quite  plain  that  he  did  not  regard 
the  scene  as  so  excruciatingly  amusing  as  the  lady 
did. 

"  Why  don't  you  laugh,  then  ?  " 

"  I  would  if  I  had  time  ;  but  I  must  proceed  to 
business." 

"Don't  spoil  the  scene  yet,"  said  she,  with 
difficulty. 

"  Hurry  it  up,  then,  Maud." 

"Captain    Somers,"   added    she,    repressing  her 


Fighting  Joe.  49 

laughter  to  a  more  reasonable  limit,  "  I  am  your 
most  obedient  servant." 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Hasbrouk,"  replied  he,  begin 
ning  to  apprehend,  for  the  first  time,  that  he  was 
individually  and  personally  responsible  for  the  joke 
which  had  so  excited  the  lady's  risibles.  "  If  you 
are,  you  will  oblige  me  by  informing  me  what  you 
are  laughing  at." 

The  lady  broke  forth  anew,  and  peal  on  peal  of 
laughter  rang  through  the  room.  Somers  tried  to 
think  what  he  had  said  or  done  that  was  so  astound- 
ingly  funny,  satisfied  that  his  humor  would  certainly 
make  his  fortune  when  given  a  wider  field  of 
operations.  It  was  evident  that  it  would  not  do  for 
him  to  be  as  funny  as  he  could  thereafter  in  the 
presence  of  ladies,  or  one  of  them  might  yet  die  of 
hysterics. 

"  Do  you  really  wish  to  know  what  I  am  laugh 
ing  at,  Captain  Somers  ?  "  asked  she,  at  another  brief 
interval  of  apparent  sanity. 

"  That  is  what  I  particularly  desire." 

"  I  am  laughing  at  the  situation.  Do  you  know 
that  there  is  something  irresistibly  ludicrous  in 
situations,  captain  ?  I  delight  in  situations — funny 
situations  I  mean." 

"  Really,  I  don't  see  anything  very  amusing  in 
the  present  situation,"  replied  the  puzzled  staff 
officer. 

"  Don't  you,  indeed  ?  Well,  I'm  afraid  you  won't 
appreciate  the  situation  from  your  stand-point. 
What  a  pity  we  haven't  a  photographer  to  give  us 
the  scene,  for  future  inspection  !  " 

"  Well,  Miss  Hasbrouk,  you  seem  to  be  making 
yourself  very  merry  at  my  expense.  I  am  happy 
to  have  afforded  you  so  much  amusement ;  but  I 


50  Fighting  Joe. 

fear  I  am  still  your  debtor  for  the  bountiful  hos 
pitality  of  your  house." 

"  Don't  mention  it,  captain ;  and  you  won  t  wis 
to  mention  it  a  few  hours  hence." 

«  I  assure  you  I  shall  ever  gratefully  remember 
your  kindness  to  me." 

«  Perhaps  not,"  laughed  the  maiden. 

«  Captain  Somers,"  interposed  the  major,  « I  think 
we  have  carried  the  joke  far  enough ;  and  we  will 
now  proceed  to  the  serious  part  of  the  business, 
one  word,  you — "  . 

«  Stop,  Major  Riggleston,  if  you  please,"  inter- 
rupted  Maud.  "  This  is  my  affair." 

«  Hurry  it  along  a  little  faster,  then,  if  you  will, 
Maud.  The  people  outside  will  get  tired  of  wait- 

«  Don't  you  interfere,  major.  You  forget  that 
you  are  a  Union  officer,  belonging  to  the  Maryland 
Home  Brigade.  Captain  Somers  insists  that  you 
are ;  and  of  course  you  are." 

«  Of  course  I  am ;  I  had  almost  forgotten  that 
little  circumstance,"  laughed  the  major. 

«  Well,  Miss  Hasbrouk,  since  you  are  to  manage 
the  affair,  I  will  thank  you  to  inform  me  what  it  all 
means,"  demanded  Somers,  with  the  least  evidence 
of  impatience  in  his  tones. 

«  With  the  greatest  pleasure ;  with  a  pleasure 
which  you  cannot  yet  appreciate,  I  will  inform  you 
all  about  it.  But,  my  dear  Captain  Somers,  in 
deference  to  a  lady  who  has  admired  you,  feted  y pu, 
dined  you,  you  will  answer  a  few  questions  which 
I  shall  propose  to  you,  before  I  proceed  to  the 
explanation." 

«  Be  in  haste,  Maud,"  said  the  major. 

«  Major  Riggleston,  if  you  hurry  me,  I  shall 


Fighting  Joe.  51 

obliged  to  ask  you  to  leave  the  room,"  answered 
she,  with  a  resumption  of  the  imperial  dignity  she 
had  partially  abandoned. 

"  I'm  dumb,  Maud." 

"  Keep  so,  then.  Now,  Captain  Somers,  you  are 
one  of  the  heroes  of  the  Yankee  army ;  a  down-east 
pink  of  chivalry.  At  Petersburg  you  were  within 
the  Confederate  lines  doing  duty  as  a  spy.  First 
question :  Is  this  so  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  for  a  rebel  court-martial  to  prove, 
if  I  should  happen  to  be  captured." 

"  First  question  evaded.  Taking  advantage  of 
the  hospitality  and  kindness  of  Dr.  Scoville,  who 
had  pledged  his  honor  that  you  should  be  delivered 
up  to  the  proper  authorities  as  soon  as  you  were 
able  to  be  moved,  you  escaped  from  his  custody. 
Second  question:  Is  this  true?" 

"  I  was  under  no  pledge,  and  was  not  paroled." 

"  Second  question  evaded.  You  are  on  the  staff 
of  the  general  of  the  first  army  corps,  and  you  have 
been  sent  out  to  procure  information.  Third  ques 
tion  :  Is  this  true  ?  " 

"  You  have  said  it ;  not  I." 

"  Third  question  evaded.  By  your  own  con 
fession,  made  to  me  yesterday,  within  the  Federal 
lines,  you  are  a  spy.  You  have  resorted  to  certain 
Yankee  tricks  to  escape  the  penalty  of  your  mis 
deeds.  Now — fourth  question  :  Would  it  not  be  fair 
to  capture  you  by  resorting  to  a  trick  such  as  those 
you  have  practised  ?  " 

"  It  would  depend  on  the  trick." 

"  Fourth  question  evaded.  You  have  abused  the 
the  sacred  rites  of  hospitality  at  the  mansion  of  Dr. 
Scoville,  in  Virginia.  Should  you  regard  it  as  any 
thing  more — fifth  question — than  diamond  cut  dia- 


52  Fighting  Joe. 

mond,  if  you  should  be  captured  in  Maryland^by  a 
similar  abuse  of  the  sacred  rites  of  hospitality  ?  " 

«  That  would  depend  on  circumstances." 

«  Fifth  question  evaded.  All  of  them  evaded,  as 
I  supposed  all  of  them  would  be ;  for  a  Yankee  can 
no  more  avoid  prevarication  than  he  can  avoid 
talking  through  his  nose." 

«  Thank  you  for  the  handsome  compliment, 
cannot  forget  that   I  am  speaking  to  a  lady,  and 
therefore  I  can  make  no  answer,"  replied  Somers, 
with  gentle  dignity,  as  he  bowed  to  the  tormentor. 

«  That  is  more  than  I  expected  of  a  Yankee, '  said 
Maud,  a  slight  flush  upon  her  fair  cheek  assuring 
her  victim  that  his  rebuke  had  been  felt.  I  am  a 
lady ;  but  before  the  lady,  I  am  the  Confederate 
woman,  having  a  cause  dearer  to  my  heart  than 
anything  save  only  a  woman's  honor." 

She  spoke  proudly,  and  her  head  rested  with 
imperial  grandeur  on  her  neck  as  she  uttered  her 
impressive  words. 

«  Now,  Captain  Somers,  you  understand  my  posi 
tion  and  you  understand  your  own  position,"  she 
continued.  "  I  invited  you  to  dine  with  me  for  a 
purpose.  That  purpose  is  now  reached.  The  house 
is  surrounded  by  Confederate  cavalry.  Captain 
Somers,  you  are  a  prisoner ! " 


Fighting  Joe.  53 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE    BOOT    ON    THE    OTHER   LEG. 

LONG  before  the  imperial,  and  now  imperious, 
lady  announced  the  conclusion  of  the  whole  matter, 
Somers  realized  that  he  was  the  victim  of  a  con 
spiracy  ;  that  he  had  been  invited  to  dinner  in  order 
to  procure  his  capture.  He  had  listened  to  the 
fallacious  argument  embodied  in  the  five  questions, 
and  was  prepared  to  refute  it  if  occasion  required. 
He  had  no  difficulty  in  perceiving  that  he  had  got 
into  trouble.  The  house  was  surrounded  by  a 
squad  of  rebel  cavalry,  and  it  would  be  folly  to 
attempt  to  fight  his  way  through  them. 

Nevertheless,  Somers  had  coolly  and  decisively 
made  up  his  mind  not  to  be  a  prisoner.  He  had 
been  invited  into  the  house  under  the  guise  of  friend 
ship.  The  lady  had  pretended  to  cherish  an  excel 
lent  feeling,  amounting  almost  to  admiration,  to 
wards  him  ;  had  treated  him  as  a  friend,  and  detained 
him  until  the  cavalry  could  be  sent  for.  The  trap 
had  been  set,  and  he  had  certainly  fallen  into  it. 
The  circumstances  were  not  at  all  like  those  under 
which  he  had  entered  the  house  of  Dr.  Scoville ; 
he  had  not  been  invited  there ;  he  had  gone  in  as  a 
hunted  fugitive,  and  the  host  had  received  and  taken 
care  of  him  without  any  pledge,  expressed  or  im 
plied,  on  his  part,  or  that  of  Captain  de  Banyan,  who 
accompanied  him.  His  conscience,  therefore,  did 
not  reproach  him  for  any  violation  of  the  law  of 
hospitality. 


54  Fighting  Joe. 

"  You  are  a  prisoner,  Captain  Somers,  I  repeat," 
said  Maud — "  my  prisoner,  if  you  please." 

"Miss  Hasbrouk,  I  have  always  cherished  a  feel 
ing  of  admiration  and  regard  for  the  ladies ;  but  I 
regret,  in  the  present  instance,  to  be  compelled  to 
contradict  you.  I  am  not  a  prisoner,  if  you  will 
excuse  me  for  saying  so,"  replied  Somers,  calmly. 

"  The  house  is  surrounded  by  Confederate 
cavalry,"  added  she.  "It  only  remains  for  me  to 
call  them  in  and  end  this  scene." 

"  Allow  me  to  observe  that  the  part  which  re 
mains  will  be  infinitely  more  difficult  than  the  part 
already  performed." 

"  Am  I  to  understand,  Captain  Somers,  that  you 
propose  to  resist  twenty  men,  who  stand  ready  to 
capture  you  ?  "  demanded  the  lady,  with  a  trium 
phant  smile. 

"  Excuse  me  if  I  evade  that  question  also  for  the 
present.  Perhaps  you  will  still  further  pardon  me, 
if,  in  this  delicate  and  difficult  business,  I  venture 
to  ask  you  a  few  questions,  which  you  will  answer 
or  evade,  as  you  please." 

"  With  great  pleasure  I  submit  to  be  questioned, 
Captain  Somers,"  answered  she,  with  a  merry 
twinkle  in  her  eyes,  which  told  how  much  she  still 
enjoyed  the  "  situation." 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Hasbrouk.  You  are  one  of 
those  brawling  rebel  women  who  have  done  so  much 
to  keep  up  the  spirits  of  the  chivalry  in  this  iniqui 
tous  rebellion.  You  are  one  of  the  feminine  Don 
Quixotes  who  have  unsexed  themselves  in  the  cause 
of  treason  and  slavery." 

"I  will  not  hear  this,  if  you  will,  Maud.  Sir  !" 
exclaimed  the  major,  advancing  towards  the  bold 
and  ungallant  speaker,  "  your  foul  mouth — " 


Fighting  Joe.  55 

*  Stand  where  you  are,  Major  Riggleston  !  "  said 
Somers,  fiercely,  as  he  pointed  a  pistol  at  his  head. 
"  If  you  stir  a  step,  or  open  your  mouth  again,  you 
are  a  dead  man  !  " 

The  major  seemed  to  be  taken  all  aback  by  this 
decided  demonstration.  He  had  no  pistol  about 
him ;  and  though  he  was  a  "  fighting  man,"  Somers 
was  pretty  well  satisfied  that  he  would  "  hold  still  " 
until  it  was  safe  for  him  to  move.  Judging  from 
her  looks,  Maud  seemed  to  be  taking  a  slightly  dif 
ferent  view  of  the  situation. 

"  Excuse  my  rude  words,  Miss  Hasbrouk,"  con 
tinued  the  captain,  with  a  gentle  inclination  of  the 
head.  "  As  this  is  your  affair,  I  will  thank  this  gen 
tleman  not  to  interfere.  Shall  I  repeat  what  I  said 
before?" 

"  It  is  not  necessary,"  replied  she,  coldly. 

"Then  we  will  proceed.  First  question:  Did  I 
correctly  state  your  position  ?  " 

"Is  a  woman  who  strengthens  the  hearts  of  those 
who  are  fighting  for  the  right  to  exist — 

u  First  question  evaded,"  interposed  Somers. 
"  You  invited  me  to  this  house ;  and,  by  the  laws  of 
hospitality,  which  even  the  heathen  respect,  you  were 
impliedly  pledged  to  treat  me  as  a  friend,  and  not  as 
a  foe.  Second  question  :  Is  this  so  ?  " 

"Did  you  learn  to  respect  the  law  of  hospitality  at 
Dr.  Scoville's  ?  "  sneered  she. 

"  Second  question  evaded.  Dr.  Scoville  made  no 
pledges  to  me,  nor  I  to  him.  No  person  can  blame 
me  for  leaving  his  house  when  I  got  ready.  Accept 
ing  his  hospitality  and  his  kindness  did  not  pledge 
me  to  go  to  a  Confederate  dungeon,  where  prisoners 
are  systematically  murdered.  To  proceed :  By  your 
own  confession  you  invited  me  to  dine  in  order  to 


56  Fighting  Joe. 

make  me  a  prisoner,  and  take  my  life  by  having  me 
hanged  as  a  spy.  If  you  sought  to  capture  me  by  a 
trick,  would  it  not — third  question — be  equally  fair 
for  me  to  escape  by  a  trick  ?  " 

"  But  it  is  utterly  impossible  for  you  to  escape," 
replied  she,  glancing  through  the  window  at  the  cav 
alry  on  the  lawn. 

"  Third  question  evaded.  You  are  a  lady  ;  and  as 
such,  under  ordinary  circumstances,  you  are  entitled 
to  be  treated  with  the  delicacy  and  consideration  due 
to  your  sex.  But  as  you  have  ceased  to  be  a  non- 
combatant, — which  you  were  sorely  against  your  will, 
and  are  now  actively  engaged  in  the  war,  conducting 
the  business  of  capturing  a  prisoner, — under  these 
circumstances,  would  it  not  be  entirely  fair  for  me  to 
treat  you  as  a  combatant,  precisely  the  same  as 
though  you  had  not  unsexed  yourself,  and  were  a 
man  ?  " 

"  You  seem  to  have  already  forgotten  what  is  due 
to  a  lady,"  replied  she,  her  cheek  flushed  with  anger. 

"  Fourth  question  evaded." 

"  Sir,  I  decline  to  hear  any  more  of  this  coarse 
abuse  ! "  exclaimed  she,  stamping  her  foot. 

"  Indulge  me  for  one  moment  more,  and  I  will  en 
deavor  as  much  as  possible  to  avoid  talking  through 
my  nose,  and  making  pretensions  as  a  hero  of  the 
Yankee  army,  or  a  down-east  pink  of  chivalry." 

Perhaps  the  imperial  beauty  thought  that  these  ex 
pressions,  borrowed  from  her  own  elegant  discourse, 
were  not  especially  refined  for  a  lady  to  use ;  it  may 
be  that  they  sounded  coarse  on  a  repetition,  but  she 
made  no  acknowledgment  to  that  effect. 

"Your  silence  consents:  thank  you.  Miss  Has- 
brouk,  you  speak  with  chivalrous  contempt  of  what 
you  are  pleased  to  term '  Yankee  tricks ' ;  at  the  same 


Fighting  Joe.  57 

time,  you  were  thrown  into  spasms  of  laughter  by  the 
apparent  success  of  one  of  your  own  tricks.  Now, 
permit  me  to  ask  whether  you  would  equally  ap 
preciate — fifth  question — a  trick  quite  as  smart  as 
your  own  ?  " 

"  You  have  insulted  me  long  enough,  sir !  "  replied 
she,  haughtily.  "  Now,  sir — 

"  Fifth  question  evaded.     I  have  no  more  to  ask." 

"  Now,  sir,  I  will  hand  you  over  to  your  masters," 
said  she,  moving  a  step  towards  the  door. 

"  Excuse  me  if  I  take  the  liberty  to  decline  being 
handed  over  to  my  masters,"  said  Somers,  stepping 
between  her  and  the  door,  and  now  occupying  a 
position  between  the  lady  and  the  discomfited  major. 

"  Sir,  what  do  you  mean  ?  "  demanded  the  lady, 
her  bosom  heaving  with  angry  emotions,  as  she  found 
herself  confronted  by  the  young  officer,  who  looked 
as  firm  and  immovable  as  a  mountain  of  granite. 

"  I  mean  all  that  I  say,  and  much  more,"  answered 
he,  with  an  emphasis  which  she  could  not  fail  to 
understand. 

"  Sir,  I  desire  to  pass  out  at  that  door." 

"I  positively  forbid  your  passing  out  at  that 
door." 

"  Sir !  "  gasped  she,  almost  overcome  by  her  angry 
passions. 

"  Miss  Hasbrouk !  "  replied  he,  bowing. 

"  You  are  no  gentleman  ! " 

"  When  I  came  here  I  regarded  you  as  a  lady,  and 
one  of  the  brightest  ornaments  of  your  sex.  What  I 
think  now  I  shall  keep  to  myself." 

"  I  shall  go  mad  !  " 

"  I  hope  not ;  though  I  fear  you  have  been  tending 
in  that  direction  for  the  last  hour." 

"  Major  Riggleston !  "  cried  she,   turning  to  her 


58  Fighting  Joe. 

lover,  "  will  you  stand  there  and  permit  me  to  be 
insulted  in  this  manner?" 

"  Major  Riggleston  will  stand  there.  If  he  moves 
hand  or  foot,  or  opens  his  mouth  to  speak,  I  will 
blow  his  brains  out.  He  is  a  villain  and  a  traitor, 
and  of  course  he  is  a  coward ! " 

The  major  winced  under  these  strong  words ;  but 
there  was  death  in  the  sharp,  snapping  eye  of  the 
young  officer,  and  he  dared  not  move  hand  or  foot, 
or  even  speak.  Perhaps  he  thought  that,  as  the  lady 
had  insisted  on  managing  the  affair  herself,  it  was 
quite  proper  that  she  should  be  indulged  to  the  end. 

"  I  can  endure  this  no  longer !  "  exclaimed  Maud, 
as  she  took  another  step  towards  the  door  for  the 
purpose  of  calling  in  the  troopers. 

"  Stop,  Miss  Hasbrouk !  "  said  Somers,  pointing  a 
pistol  at  her  head  with  his  right  hand,  while  that  in 
his  left  was  ready  to  dispose  of  the  major. 

"  Is  it  possible  that  you  can  raise  your  weapon 
against  a  woman  ?  "  cried  she,  shrinking  back  from 
the  gaping  muzzle  of  the  pistol. 

**  Let  us  understand  each  other,  Miss  Hasbrouk. 
I  am  not  to  be  captured.  If  you  attempt  to  leave 
the  room,  or  call  in  the  rebel  soldiers,  I  will  shoot 
you,  as  gently  and  considerately  as  the  deed  can  be 
done  ;  but  I  will  shoot  you,  as  surely  as  you  stand 
there  and  I  stand  here." 

He  cocked  the  pistol.  She  heard  the  click  of  the 
hammer.  She  stood  in  mortal  terror  of  her  life. 

"  You  forget  that  I  am  a  woman,"  said  she,  in 
tones  of  alarm. 

"  I  did  not  forget  it  until  you  had  forgotten  it 
yourself,"  answered  Somers.  "  You  have  abused 
and  insulted  me.  Under  the  guise  of  friendship 
you  are  attempting  to  hand  me  over  to  death  by  my 


Fighting  Joe.  59 

enemies.  Did  you  think  I  would  be  dropped  gently 
into  the  arms  of  the  rebels,  and  be  hung  as  a  spy  ? 
If  you  insist  on  pursuing  your  plan  to  the  end,  it 
will  be  death  to  you  or  death  to  me.  I  am  not  quite 
willing  to  die  for  any  rebel  woman,  and  especially 
not  for  one  who  is  seeking  my  life.  It  would  grieve 
me  to  shoot  one  so  fair  and  fascinating  as  Miss  Has- 
brouk ;  I  should  remember  it  with  sorrow  to  the  end 
of  my  days ;  but  my  duty  to  myself  and  my  country 
requires  the  sacrifice,  and  I  would  shoot  you  if  it 
broke  my  heart." 

"  Are  you  in  earnest,  Captain  Somers  ?  "  asked  she, 
still  struggling  under  the  violence  of  her  emotions. 

"  Maud,"  said  the  major. 

"  Silence,  sir ! "  added  the  captain,  sternly.  "  Miss 
Hasbrouk,  I  am  in  earnest.  The  situation  has 
changed.  Would  you  like  a  photographer  to  pre 
serve  the  scene  for  future  inspection  ?  " 

"  You  would  not  kill  me?" 

"  I  would,  as  you  would  kill  me." 

"  But  the  soldiers  are  impatient  outside,  and  they 
may  come  in  without  my  call,"  suggested  she,  glanc 
ing  at  the  window,  while  every  muscle  in  her  frame 
shook  with  terror. 

"  If  they  do,  it  will  cost  you  your  life,  unless  they 
are  more  reasonable  than  you  are." 

"Good  Heaven !     You  mean  to  murder  me?" 

"  Not  if  I  can  help  it.  When  I  fire,  it  will  be  from 
a  solemn  sense  of  duty ;  for  your  cutthroats  would 
hang  me  to  the  nearest  tree  if  they  knew  as  much  of 
me  as  you  do." 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?  "  asked  she,  wildly,  as  she 
looked  around  the  room. 

"Now  you  are  reasonable.  Let  your  servant 
bring  pen,  ink,  and  paper." 


60  Fighting  Joe. 

She  ordered  the  man  who  had  waited  on  the  table 
to  bring  the  required  articles,  and  Somers  gave  him 
a  charge  to  be  discreet  as  he  left  the  room.  In  a 
few  moments  he  returned  with  the  writing  materials, 
and  laid  them  on  the  table.  The  negro  was  even 
more  terrified  than  the  lady,  and  there  was  no  fear 
that  he  would  venture  upon  any  bold  enterprise. 

"Now,  Major  Riggleston,  sit  down  at  the  table," 
said  Somers.  "You  will  remain  where  you  are, 
Miss  Hasbrouk." 

"  You  will  write  what  I  dictate.  Did  you  call  this 
cavalry  ?  " 

« I  did." 

"  Then  you  are  a  loyal  Marylander  with  a  venge 
ance,  and  a  worthy  officer  of  the  Maryland  Home 
Brigade ;  but  I  will  warrant  there  is  not  another 
such  a  scoundrel  in  the  organization." 

"  That  is  a  personal  insult,  for  which — " 

"  Silence,  sir.  Who  commands  the  cavalry  out 
side?" 

"  A  sergeant." 

"  How  many  men  has  he  ?  " 

"  Twenty." 

"  Now  write.  '  Sergeant :  The  matter  upon  which 
I  called  you  was  all  a  mistake.  Your  services  will 
not  be  required,  and  you  will  retire  from  the  house 
without  delay.'  Sign  it  as  you  please." 

Somers  looked  over  his  shoulder  to  satisfy  him 
self  that  the  major  wrote  what  he  said,  and  nothing 
else. 

"  It  is  possible  we  may  get  through  this  business 
without  shooting  either  one  of  you,"  added  the  cap 
tain,  as  the  scribe  folded  up  the  note.  "  Give  the 
paper  to  the  servant." 

"  Go  to  the  front  door,  boy,  and  deliver  this  note 


Fighting  Joe.  61 

to  the  sergeant  in  command  of  the  squad  of  cavalry," 
continued  Soiners. 

"  Yes,  sar." 

"  Stop  a  moment.  You  are  not  to  say  a  word  to 
him." 

"  No,  sar." 

"If  one  of  those  soldiers  should  come  into  the 
house,  it  might  cost  your  mistress  her  life." 

"  De  Lo'd  fosbid,  massa ! " 

"  Do  you  understand  me,  boy  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sar.     Dey  shan't  come  in,  massa,  no  how." 

He  departed  on  his  mission.  Somers  still  stood 
in  the  attitude  for  action,  and  Maud  and  the  major 
looked  as  cheap  and  as  chapf alien  as  though  they 
had  not  another  hope  in  the  world.  They  waited 
with  even  more  impatience  than  the  captain  for  the 
departure  of  the  cavalry,  both  of  them  fearing  that 
some  unfortunate  accident  might  bring  the  desperate 
young  man  to  the  execution  of  his  horrible  threat. 

The  sergeant  outside  was,  luckily,  not  of  an  in 
quiring  mind.  The  clatter  of  horses'  feet  and  the 
clanking  of  sabers  were  heard  again,  and  the  cavalry 
dashed  down  the  road  to  more  hopeful  scenes. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

SOUTH  MOUNTAIN. 

SOMERS  returned  the  pistols  to  his  belt  as  he 
listened  to  the  sounds  of  the  retreating  cavalry. 
This  action  on  his  part  seemed  to  afford  Maud  and 
the  major  an  immense  relief.  Death  no  longer 


62  Fighting  Joe. 

stared  them  in  the  face,  and  both  of  them  began  to 
grow  bold  again. 

"  Now,  Major  Riggleston,  when  you  see  your  uncle, 
Dr.  Scoville,  again,  you  will  have  a  story  to  tell  him," 
said  Somers. 

« I  shall  not  be  likely  to  tell  him  of  it." 

"  I  think  we  have  obtained  some  new  ideas  con 
cerning  the  Yankees,  to-day,"  added  Maud,  spite 
fully.  "  I  had  supposed  their  making  war  on  women 
and  children  was  merely  a  poetic  figure ;  but  it 
appears  to  be  literally  true." 

"  Pray,  am  I  to  regard  you  as  a  woman  or  a  child, 
Miss  Hasbrouk  ?  "  asked  Somers ;  "  or  as  both  ?  " 

"  I  hope  I  shall  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you 
hanged  !  "  exclaimed  she,  with  compressed  lips. 

"  That's  the  sentiment  of  a  woman,  rather  than  a 
child,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  How  long  before  we  shall  be  rid  of  your  presence, 
Captain  Somers  ?  " 

"  How  long  will  it  take  your  servants  to  bring  up 
the  horse  and  chaise  in  which  I  saw  you  arrive  V  " 

"Not  ten  minutes;  if  that  will  facilitate  your 
departure,  the  chaise  shall  be  brought  up  instantly," 
replied  she,  directing  the  waiter  present  to  give  the 
stable  boys  the  necessary  orders. 

"  Thank  you,  Miss  Hasbrouk.  May  I  trouble  you 
also  to  get  ready  to  accompany  me?" 

"  Accompany  you,  sir ! " 

"  I  do  not  regard  myself  as  entirely  safe  yet,"  re 
plied  the  staff  officer,  taking  one  of  the  pistols  from 
his  belt.  "  Before  I  am  out  of  sight,  my  friend  the 
major  may  feel  justified  in  calling  for  the  cavalry 
again." 

"  They  are  five  miles  off,  or  will  be  by  the  time 
you  have  started,"  said  the  major. 


Fighting  Joe.  63 

"I  think  not.  When  I  fall  among  people  who 
are  as  sharp  as  you  are,  I  always  use  extraordinary 
precautions.  It  is  part  of  my  purpose  that  you 
should  go  with  us,  my  dear  major." 

"  Go  where  ? "  demanded  the  traitor,  intensely 
alarmed. 

"  I  will  not  trouble  the  lady  to  go  any  farther  than 
the  farmhouse  where  I  left  my  horse.  In  regard 
to  yourself,  I  shall  have  to  insist  upon  your  going 
with  me  to  headquarters." 

«  Why  so  ?  " 

"  You  are  a  traitor  of  the  blackest  stamp,  and  it 
is  quite  proper  that  you  should  be  attended  to  be 
fore  you  have  done  any  more  mischief." 

"You  are  quite  mistaken,  Captain  Somers.  I 
am—" 

"  I  will  pledge  myself  not  to  prevent  your  escape," 
interposed  Maud,  apparently  unwilling  that  the 
major  should  say  too  much. 

"  Excuse  me,  if,  after  what  has  happened,  I  decline 
to  trust  you." 

"  This  is  insolent,  sir." 

"  It  is  open  to  that  construction,  I  admit,"  said 
Somers,  as  he  picked  up  tha  letter  which  the  major 
had  read  with  so  much  astonishment. 

It  was  a  blank  sheet,  but  the  direction  on  the  out 
side  was  in  a  lady's  handwriting,  evidently  Maud's. 
It  was  nothing  but  a  "  blind,"  to  afford  a  reasonable 
pretense  for  the  major's  sudden  departure.  Somers 
put  it  in  his  pocket  for  future  reference. 

"  The  chaise  is  ready,  captain,"  said  Maud. 

"  So  am  I ;  but  you  are  not." 

"  My  hat  and  shawl  are  in  the  entry,"  she  replied, 
sullenly. 

They  passed  out  of  the  house  when  she  had  robed 


64  Fighting  Joe. 

herself  for  the  ride.  Somers  assisted  her  into  the 
vehicle. 

"  Where  is  the  major  ?  "  asked  he,  turning  to  the 
spot  where  he  had  stood  a  moment  before.  Maud's 
reply  was  a  silvery  laugh,  which  was  a  sufficient 
explanation  that  he  had  taken  himself  off. 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  Somers.  "  Good 
afternoon,  Miss  Hasbrouk,"  he  added,  as  he  walked 
rapidly  up  the  road,  in  the  direction  of  the  farm 
house. 

She  was  so  surprised  by  this  sudden  and  un 
expected  change  in  the  program,  that  she  could 
make  no  reply.  She  did  not  know  whether  the 
movement  boded  good  or  evil ;  whether  the  captain 
had  gone  in  pursuit  of  the  major,  or  to  the  place 
where  he  had  left  his  horse. 

Somers,  when  he  discovered  that  the  major  had 
escaped  him,  was  afraid  to  trust  himself  in  the  family 
chaise,  which  would  too  surely  betray  his  move 
ments  to  a  pursuing  force,  if  the  traitor  could  find 
one  in  the  vicinity.  He  decided  that  it  would  be 
safer  for  him  to  walk,  and  then  he  could  avoid  the 
public  road  if  it  became  necessary  for  him  to  do  so. 
Though  he  would  have  been  glad  to  hand  the  treach 
erous  scoundrel  over  to  the  military  authorities  for 
punishment  as  a  deserter,  or  for  giving  aid  and  com 
fort  to  the  enemy,  he  would  have  been  a  great  en- 
cumbrance  to  him  on  the  road.  As  events  often 
happen  for  the  best,  he  consoled  himself  with  the 
belief  that  tae  traitor's  escape  was  not  the  worst 
thing  that  could  have  occurred. 

He  walked  rapidly  till  he  obtained  his  horse. 
Whatever  b«s  late  friends  had  done  to  secure  his 
capture,  he  -was  not  molested  on  the  road,  nor  did 
he  discover  *ny  pursuers  behind  him.  His  horse 


Fighting  Joe.  65 

was  fresh,  after  the  long  rest  he  had  had,  and  Somers 
rode  at  a  break-neck  gait  till  he  reached  the  head 
quarters  of  the  general.  On  the  way,  after  he  had 
carefully  arranged  in  his  mind  the  information  he 
had  obtained,  he  could  not  help  thinking  over  the 
exciti  ng  events  of  the  afternoon .  Ma j  or  Riggleston's 
conduct  was  very  strange.  On  the  preceding  day 
he  had  been  a  loyal  soldier  ;  now  he  was  apparently 
in  full  sympathy  with  the  rebels.  It  was  a  sudden 
change,  if  it  was  a  change  at  all. 

But  the  major,  like  a  lobster,  had  a  lady  in  his 
head,  and  it  was  quite  impossible  to  tell  what  a 
major  or  a  lobster  would  do,  with  a  lady  in  his  head. 
Sowers  had  met  the  beauty  at  the  house  of  Mr. 
Riggleston,  in  Frederick.  They  had  ridden  over  to 
her  home  that  morning  in  a  chaise ;  and  the  best 
solution  which  he  could  give  of  the  matter  was,  that 
Maud  had  converted  him  from  one  side  to  the  other. 
As  this  seemed  to  be  a  satisfactory  explanation  of 
the  singular  conduct  of  the  fighting  man,  he  was 
satisfied  with  it,  and  gave  the  subject  no  further 
consideration. 

His  ride  was  not  so  long  as  it  had  been  in  the  morn 
ing,  for  the  army  had  advanced  some  miles ;  and  at  sun 
set  Somers  reported  his  information  to  the  general. 
He  also  told  his  story  about  the  attempt  which  had 
been  made  to  capture  him,  and  in  the  course  of  his 
narrative  involved  the  loyal  major  of  the  Maryland 
Home  Brigade  in  trouble  and  dishonor.  The  general 
was  not  a  little  amused  at  the  story,  and  hoped 
other  officers,  who  were  invited  to  dinner  by  fair 
rebel  ladies,  and  then  entrapped,  would  resort  to 
similar  strategy.  But  the  information  which  Somers 
brought  was  the  most  interesting  and  valuable  part 
of  the  proceeds  of  his  trip,  and  the  general  was 


66  Fighting  Joe. 

soon  busy  in  the  study  of  his  maps  in  the  new  light 
he  had  obtained. 

The  next  day  was  Sunday ;  but  it  was  not  the 
quiet  sabbath  of  the  soul  that  rests  the  body,  and 
renews  the  spirit's  waning  hope ;  it  was  a  day  of 
storm  and  battle — a  day  of  death  and  destruction. 
Somers  performed  his  first  staff  duty  in  the  field  on 
this  occasion.  During  the  forenoon  the  artillery 
thundered  along  the  range  of  the  South  Mountain. 
The  enemy  was  posted  on  the  steeps,  and  all  along 
the  side  of  the  mountain,  on  both  sides  of  the  Cum 
berland  road,  which  is  the  direct  route  to  the  Upper 
Potomac.  Beyond  the  hills  were  the  wagon  and 
ammunition  trains  of  the  rebels,  as  well  as  the  more 
considerable  portion  of  their  army.  The  possession 
of  this  road  was  necessary  to  their  safety,  as  well  as 
to  the  success  of  their  grand  scheme  of  carrying  on 
a  war  of  invasion. 

The  battle  was  opened  by  the  corps  of  General 
Reno,  next  to  which  in  the  line  of  march  was  the 
first  army  corps.  During  the  early  part  of  the  day, 
the  action  was  fought  with  artillery,  and  was  an 
attempt  to  dislodge  the  enemy  from  the  strong 
position  they  had  taken.  The  slope  of  the  mountain 
was  rugged,  consisting  of  irregular  ledges,  and  the 
whole  covered  with  wood,  which  grew  out  of  the 
interstices  of  the  rocks,  and  on  the  shelves  where 
there  was  earth  enough  to  give  life  to  a  tree.  In 
these  woods  and  among  these  rocks  the  rebels  were 
located, — infantry  and  sharpshooters, — while  their 
cannon  were  placed  in  such  positions  that  they  com 
manded  all  the  approaches  to  the  Gap,  through 
which  the  road  passed. 

An  attack  of  infantry  was  ordered,  and  the  gallant 
fellows  went  forward  with  alacrity  to  execute  the 


Fighting  Joe.  67 

command.  They  rushed  boldly  up  the  steeps,  to  a 
stone  wall  behind  which  the  main  line  of  the  enemy 
rested,  driving  the  skirmishers  before  them.  Tor 
rents  of  blood  flowed,  and  moistened  the  soil  where 
hundreds  of  brave  fellows  gave  up  their  lives ;  but 
they  won  the  ground,  and  held  it.  The  rebels 
fought  with  desperation,  and  their  generals  rallied 
them  in  vain  to  do  what  could  not  be  done. 

Partial  successes  and  partial  reverses  occurred  in 
different  parts  of  the  line  until  noon,  when  the 
artillery  alone  was  actively  engaged.  The  day  was 
not  yet  won,  and  hundreds  more  were  to  fall  on  the 
field  before  the  obstinate  foe  would  yield  the  position. 

At  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  the  head  of  the 
first  army  corps  appeared,  which  had  been  ordered 
forward  by  General  McClellan  to  the  support  of 
Reno's  hard-pressed  forces.  As  "  Fighting  Joe " 
appeared  before  the  lines,  the  utmost  enthusiasm 
was  manifested  by  the  troops.  They  cheered  him 
as  though  he  had  already  saved  the  day.  The 
general  was  examining  the  ground.  His  quick  eye 
had  already  grasped  the  situation.  He  had  been 
ordered  by  the  general  commanding  to  make  a  feint 
in  favor  of  Burnside's  forces  ;  but,  satisfied  that  an 
attack  on  the  south  side  of  the  road  would  not  be  a 
success,  he  turned  his  attention  to  that  portion  of 
the  rebel  line  at  the  north  of  the  road,  which  had 
been  reported  upon  by  Captain  Somers. 

The  general  proceeded,  as  he  always  did,  directly 
to  the  front.  He  seemed  to  know  precisely  what 
he  was  about,  and  to  have  all  his  force  entirely  in 
hand.  Then  he  began  to  send  off  his  orders,  and 
the  members  of  his  staff  were  dashing  about  in 
every  direction,  till  the  line  was  formed.  Batteries 
were  posted  behind  the  troops,  and  the  shot  and 


68  Fighting  Joe. 

shell  whizzed  through  the  air  over  the  soldiers1 
heads.  The  order  to  advance  was  given ;  the  line 
moved  up  the  precipitous  steeps,  and  for  half  an 
hour  the  battle  raged  with  tremendous  fury. 

Somers  found  every  instant  of  his  time  occupied, 
as  he  dashed  from  one  division  to  another ;  while 
shot,  shell  and  bullets  flew  through  the  air  like 
hailstones.  Kind  Providence  protected  him  again, 
as  it  had  before,  and  he  escaped  all  injury.  On 
marched  the  victorious  line,  conquering  every  obsta 
cle,  and  driving  the  rebels  before  them ;  but  it  was 
long  after  dark  before  the  red  field  was  entirely 
won,  and  the  Union  troops  were  in  possession  of  the 
crests  of  the  mountain. 

"  Captain  Somers,  you  have  done  admirably,  and 
fully  justified  my  selection  of  you  for  the  important 
and  difficult  position  to  which  you  have  been 
assigned." 

Somers  bowed,  and  felt  as  happy  as  though  he 
had  commanded  the  successful  army. 

"  One  more  task  to-night,  captain.  You  will  ride 
to  the  headquarters  of  the  army,  give  my  compli 
ments  to  General  McClellan,  and  inform  him  that 
we  have  carried  the  position,  and  routed  the 
enemy." 

Somers  saluted  the  general,  and  urged  forward 
his  weary  horse  towards  Middletown.  He  found 
the  commander-in-chief  still  in  the  saddle,  and  de 
livered  his  message.  He  was  directed  to  bear  the 
congratulations  of  General  McClellan  to  the  com 
mander  of  the  first  army  corps  on  his  success,  with 
instructions  to  follow  up  the  retreating  rebels,  and 
to  employ  General  Richardson's  division,  which  had 
been  sent  forward  to  report  to  him,  in  this  work,  if 
the  condition  of  his  own  troops  required  it. 


Fighting  Joe.  69 

Somers  made  his  salute,  and  was  riding  off, 
thinking  over  what  had  just  been  said  to  him,  as  he 
had  learned  to  do  when  sent  on  an  errand  in  his 
childhood.  He  was  fully  absorbed  in  his  thoughts, 
when  a  voice  pronounced  his  name. 

"  Captain  Somers,  I  am  glad  to  see  you  again,"  said 
an  officer,  urging  forward  his  horse  to  intercept  him. 

Somers  looked  at  him,  and  was  not  a  little  sur 
prised,  in  the  darkness  of  the  evening,  to  recognize 
Major  Riggleston,  who  appeared  to  be  one  of  the 
numerous  staff  of  the  commanding  general.  Perhaps 
it  was  fortunate  for  the  messenger  that  he  had 
already  faithfully  conned  his  errand,  or  the  appear 
ance  of  the  traitor  would  have  forever  driven  it 
from  his  mind. 

"  Major  Riggleston ! "  exclaimed  he,  hardly  able 
to  believe  the  evidence  of  his  own  senses. 

It  was  plain,  after  all,  that  he  had  not  been  fully 
converted  to  the  rebel  faith  by  the  blandishments 
of  the  beautiful  Maud;  but  he  was  occupying  a 
worse  and  more  disgraceful  position,  in  Somers's 
estimation,  than  to  have  stood  square  up  with  the 
enemies  of  the  country.  It  was  most  audacious  in 
the  major  to  hail  him,  after  what  had  occurred  at 
the  mansion  of  the  Maryland  grandee,  and  Somers 
regarded  him  not  only  as  a  rebel,  but  as  the  stupidest 
rebel  he  had  ever  met. 

"  The  same,  my  boy,"  replied  the  major,  famili 
arly.  "Ride  on,  and  I  will  go  with  you  a  short 
distance,  to  hear  the  news.  They  say  Reno  was 
killed." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  say  it  is  true,"  replied  Somers, 
coldly. 

"  He  was  a  brave  fellow,  and  a  splendid  soldier. 
You  must  have  had  a  warm  time  over  there." 


70  Fighting  Joe. 

"Rather." 

"You  are  tired,  arn't  you,  old  fellow?  Can't  you 
talk?" 

"  Not  much  to  you,"  answered  Somers,  bluntly. 

"  To  me  ?  Why,  what  the  dickens  is  the  matter  ?  " 
demanded  the  major,  with  apparent  surprise. 

"  The  matter,  indeed  !  How  does  it  happen  that 
you  are  here  ?  " 

"Why  shouldn't  I  be  here,  old  boy?" 

"  After  the  affair  of  yesterday — " 

"  What  affair  of  yesterday  ?  " 

The  major  had  entirely  lost  his  memory  again. 
He  had  not  heard  a  word  about  the  adventure  at 
the  mansion  of  Maud's  father. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

BEFORE  THE  GREAT  BATTLE. 

CAPTAIN  SOMEBS  was  as  thoroughly  bewildered 
as  he  would  have  been  if  the  mountains  around  him 
had  suddenly  commenced  dancing  a  hornpipe ;  or  if 
the  trees,  horses,  and  men  before  him  had  turned 
bottom  upwards,  and  the  whole  order  of  nature  had 
been  reversed.  He  was  entirely  satisfied,  on  reflec 
tion,  that  the  event  of  the  preceding  afternoon  had 
been  a  reality;  entirely  satisfied  that  Major  Rig- 
gleston  had  been  a  party  to  the  infamous  conspiracy 
by  which  the  fair  Maud  had  sought  to  capture 
him;  and  the  unblushing  impudence  of  his  com 
panion  in  denying  it  passed  his  comprehension. 


Fighting  Joe.  71 

« I  think  you  must  be  dreaming,  Captain  Somers," 
said  the  major,  with  a  light  laugh. 

«  Either  I  am,  or  you  are  ;  I  will  not  pretend  to 
say  which,"  replied  Somers,  almost  convinced  by 
the  words,  and  especially  by  the  easy  assurance  of 
the  major,  that  no  attempt  had  been  made  to  capture 
him ;  that  no  such  person  as  Maud  Hasbrouk  had 
an  existence. 

But  of  course  the  traitor  would  deny  his  guilt ; 
that  was  to  be  expected.  It  was  not  to  be  supposed 
that  he  would  engage  in  such  a  nefarious  scheme  as 
that  which  had  been  exhibited  at  the  Hasbrouk 
house,  and  then  confess  his  participation  in  it.  The 
major  had  actually  returned  to  the  Union  lines,  and 
had  the  temerity  to  take  his  place  in  the  ranks  of 
the  defenders  of  the  Union,  even  while  he  was,  not 
only  in  heart,  but  openly,  engaged  in  the  service  of 
treason  arid  rebellion. 

"  Now,  captain,  let  us  be  friends,"  continued  the 
major ;  "  for  it  really  seems  to  me  that  you  are  dis 
posed  to  provoke  a  quarrel  with  me." 

"  I  cannot  be  the  friend  of  one  who  is  an  enemy 
to  his  country,"  replied  Somers,  stiffly,  and  with  a 
proper  display  of  dignity. 

"My  dear  fellow,  I  don't  understand  you." 

"  Don't  understand  me,  Major  Riggleston?"  Somers 
began  to  be  stern  and  savage. 

"  Upon  my  word  I  do  not,"  protested  the  major, 
earnestly.  "  If  you  insist  on  picking  a  quarrel  with 
me,  pray  tell  me  what  it  is  all  about." 

"This  is  all  idle  talk,  sir." 

"  You  have  accused  me  of  being  an  enemy  to  my 
country."  The  major  began  to  be  slightly  indig 
nant. 

"  Most  distinctly  I  accuse  you  of  it." 


72  Fighting  Joe. 

"  That's  a  grave  charge." 

« I  am  aware  of  it ;  and  I  speak  advisedly  when  I 
make  it.  If  I  had  met  General  Lee  himself  within 
our  lines,  I  should  not  have  been  more  astonished 
than  I  was  to  see  you,  after  what  has  happened." 

"  Will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  tell  me  what  has  hap 
pened  ?  "  demanded  the  accused  officer,  manifesting 
no  little  excitement. 

"  At  no  distant  day  I  shall  do  so  before  a  court- 
martial." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Have  you  any  doubt  whatever  in  regard  to  rny 
meaning  ?  " 

"  Upon  my  word  and  honor  as  an  officer  and  a 
gentleman,  I  have  not  the  remotest  idea  what  you 
mean." 

"  Major  Riggleston,  if  the  nature  of  my  mission 
would  permit,  I  would  return  to  the  headquarters 
of  the  commanding  general  and  denounce  you  as  a 
traitor." 

"  Captain  Somers,  those  are  words  which  no  man 
can  use  to  me  with  impunity,"  replied  the  major, 
indignantly.  "  I  shall  hold  you  personally  respon 
sible  for  them." 

"  I  am  willing  to  be  held  personally  responsible 
for  what  I  say,"  answered  Somers,  coolly.  "  If  you 
mean  violence  by  that  remark,  I  shall  not  be  off  my 
guard." 

"  Captain  Somers,  you  are  a  brave  man.  You 
have  proved  yourself  to  be  a  brave  and  true  man," 
said  the  major,  with  more  calmness.  "  I  think  you 
are  too  noble  a  fellow  to  vilify  me  without  giving 
me  an  opportunity  to  defend  myself." 

"  Of  course  you  will  have  an  opportunity  to  de 
fend  yourself." 


Fighting  Joe.  73 

"  You  propose  to  denounce  me  as  a  traitor,  you 
say." 

"  I  do." 

"  You  are  aware  that  the  people  of  my  state  are 
divided  on  the  great  question  that  now  disturbs  the 
country ;  consequently  a  charge,  however  weak  and 
unfounded,  against  me,  would  find  plenty  of  be 
lievers.  I  have  enemies.  All  I  demand  is  fair 
play." 

"You  shall  have  it,  major;  for,  deeply  as  you 
have  injured  me,  or  attempted  to  injure  me,  I  assure 
you  I  bear  no  personal  ill  will  towards  you." 

"  Thank  you  for  so  much ;  but  you  say  I  have 
attempted  to  injure  you.  I  am  not  conscious  of  any 
such  attempt." 

"  Major  Riggleston,  this  is  all  idle  talk  while  you 
assume  that  position — while  you  pretend  to  be  ig 
norant  of  the  matter  with  which  I  charge  you ;  and 
I  must  decline  holding  any  further  intercourse  with 
you  at  present.  Let  me  add,  however,  that  I  will 
not  make  charges  until  you  are  present  to  defend 
yourself." 

"  So  far  your  conduct  is  honorable ;  if  you  would 
go  a  step  farther,  and  state  distinctly  with  what  you 
charge  me,  I  should  be  infinitely  obliged  to  you." 

"  That  is  useless.  From  a  gentleman  I  should  not 
expect  such  duplicity  as  you  exhibit  in  pretending 
to  know  nothing  about  the  charge." 

"  I  have  pledged  you  my  honor  that  I  don't  know 
what  you  mean ;  that  I  am  not  conscious  of  having 
given  you  any  offense,  much  less  done  anything  which 
can  justify  you  in  calling  me  a  traitor." 

"  Do  you  know  Miss  Maud  Hasbrouk  ?  "  demanded 
Somers. 

"  Of  course  I  know  her.    You  are  perfectly  aware 


74  Fighting  Joe. 

that,  though  she  is  a  rebel,  she  is  a  friend  of  our 
family." 

"  Good  night,  Major  Riggleston,"  said  Somers,  as 
he  put  spurs  to  his  steed,  and  dashed  down  the  hill, 
leaving  his  companion  to  infer  what  he  meant  from 
his  connection  with  the  lady,  if  he  needed  anything 
to  enable  him  to  explain  the  nature  of  the  charge. 

The  staff  officer  was  excited  and  indignant  that 
the  traitor  should  attempt  such  a  bold  and  foolish 
subterfuge.  It  was  almost  incredible  that  he  should 
have  the  audacity  to  pretend  that  he  did  not  know 
what  the  charge  meant.  There  was  no  room  for  a 
doubt  or  a  mistake.  The  major  had  positively  re 
ceived  the  blank  letter ;  had  positively  gone  after 
the  rebel  cavalry ;  had  positively  sustained  Maud  in 
her  attempt  to  capture  him.  It  was  not  possible, 
therefore,  that  he  had  done  the  culprit  any  injustice. 

Thus  assured  that  he  had  not  wronged  the  major, 
Captain  Somers  again  turned  his  attention  to  the 
message  which  he  was  to  deliver  to  his  general,  and 
urged  forward  his  weary  horse  at  his  best  speed. 
He  found  the  troops  of  "  Fighting  Joe  "  resting 
from  the  hard-fought  action,  and  engaged  in  pre 
paring  their  simple  supper  of  coffee  and  "hard 
tack."  He  delivered  the  orders  of  the  commanding 
general,  and  the  division  of  Richardson  was  accord 
ingly  sent  forward  to  pursue  the  fleeing  rebels. 

Early  on  the  following  morning  the  army  ad 
vanced,  and  Somers  found  no  time  to  think  of  pri 
vate  grievances.  The  general  did  much  of  his  own 
reconnoitring  on  this  occasion,  though  the  members 
of  his  staff  were  kept  constantly  employed.  The 
enemy  had  fallen  back  in  disorder  from  South 
Mountain ;  but  at  ten  o'clock  in  the  forenoon  the 
advance  of  the  first  corps  came  up  with  the  position 


Fighting  Joe.  75 

which  the  rebels  had  taken,  to  dispute  the  farther 
progress  of  the  now  victorious  army.  But  the  gen 
eral  had  not  at  this  time  a  sufficient  force  to  make 
an  attack.  Antietam  Creek  lay  between  the  two 
armies ;  and  the  bridge  over  it  at  this  point  was 
protected  by  the  batteries  which  the  rebels  had 
planted  to  defend  it. 

The  enemy,  in  two  lines  on  the  west  side  of  the 
creek,  were  believed  to  consist  of  fifty  thousand 
men ;  and  the  brave  general  impatiently  awaited 
the  arrival  of  the  rest  of  the  corps.  It  looked  like 
an  opportunity  to  fight  a  successful  battle,  and  he 
was  determined  to  cross  the  stream  at  the  first 
practicable  moment. 

"  General,  the  enemy  are  breaking  into  column 
and  marching  towards  Williamsport,"  said  Somers, 
as  he  rode  up  from  the  point  at  which  he  had  been 
surveying  the  movement  on  the  other  side  of  the 
creek. 

"  They  are  on  the  retreat,  then,"  replied  the  gen 
eral. 

Captain  Somers  and  an  officer  of  the  engineers 
were  then  sent  to  examine  the  creek  in  search  of  a 
ford  by  which  to  transfer  the  troops  to  the  other 
side  as  soon  as  the  force  of  the  rebels  should  be 
sufficiently  reduced  to  justify  an  attack.  The  gen 
eral  chafed  under  the  restraint  which  the  circum 
stances  imposed  upon  him;  but  he  was  too  pru 
dent  to  risk  an  attack  while  the  advantage  was  so 
strongly  against  him.  A  ford  was  found  near  a 
mill,  farther  up  the  creek,  and  the  officers  reported 
the  fact ;  but  the  arrival  of  the  commanding  general 
at  this  time  prevented  "  Fighting  Joe  "  from  order 
ing  an  advance. 

The  corps  remained  at  this  place  until  the  after- 


76  Fighting  Joe. 

noon  of  the  next  day,  when  orders  came  to  cross 
the  creek.  The  troops  proceeded  up  the  stream, 
and  went  over  by  a  bridge  and  by  the  fords  which 
had  been  examined  by  the  staff  officers.  The  out 
posts  of  the  enemy  were  soon  discovered  and  driven 
in,  and  the  gallant  corps  continued  to  push  the 
force  in  front  till  it  was  too  dark  to  proceed  any 
farther,  at  which  time  the  resistance  was  fully  equal 
to  the  power  of  the  advancing  host.  This  was  the 
night  before  the  great  battle  of  Antietam. 

The  weary  troops  lay  down  to  rest  in  the  corn 
fields  where  they  had  halted.  The  rebels  were  close 
by,  and  the  pickets  of  the  two  armies  were  within 
gunshot  range  of  each  other.  There  was  no  rest 
yet  for  the  general  and  his  staff ;  for  it  was  evident 
that  a  great  battle  was  to  be  fought  on  the  morrow 
— a  battle  on  which  the  destinies  of  the  Union  de 
pended.  If  the  grand  army  of  the  Potomac  was 
defeated,  there  would  be  nothing  to  stay  the  march 
of  the  invaders.  The  fair  fields  and  the  prosperous 
cities  and  towns  of  the  North  would  then  be  open 
to  them.  The  great  heart  of  the  nation,  beating 
timidly  as  the  rebel  hordes  advanced,  sickened  by 
previous  disasters,  might  sink  into  despondency, 
and  the  bright  hopes  of  a  great  people  be  forever 
crushed.  It  was  no  time  for  the  brain  of  the  army 
to  slumber. 

"  We  want  information,"  said  the  general,  after 
he  had  sent  an  aide  to  General  McClellan  to  an 
nounce  his  intention  to  attack  the  enemy  at  the 
earliest  dp'vn. 

The  co  mander  of  the  first  army  corps  always 
wanted  in  rmation,  for  he  never  moved  in  the  dark. 
His  brain  ind  his  arm  were  twin  brothers  in  the 
conflict.  !L  mers  and  Barkwood  volunteered  to  pro- 


Fighting  Joe.  77 

cure  the  information,  and  left  the  headquarters  for 
this  purpose.  It  was  useless  to  attempt  to  pene 
trate  the  heavy  picket  line  of  the  rebels  in  the  corn 
fields,  and  they  descended  the  hill  beyond  a  farm 
house,  till  thejr  came  to  a  ravine  through  which 
flowed  a  considerable  volume  of  water. 

"  Here's  our  chance,"  said  Somers,  in  a  low  tone. 

"That's  so;  but  you  know  I  am  a  great  coward, 
and  this  looks  like  risky  business,"  replied  Captain 
Barkwood. 

"  If  you  are,  I  think  there  is  no  need  of  more  than 
one  of  us  going  through." 

"  O,  my  dear  fellow,  I  will  go  with  you." 

"  I  think  it  would  be  safer  for  us  both  to  separate 
here." 

"  I  agree  with  you." 

"Then  I  will  take  this  ravine,  and  you  may  see 
what  you  can  find  farther  to  the  north." 

"  Good !  Now  be  scientific,  my  boy ;  we  want  to 
know  the  topography  of  the  country  as  well  as  the 
position  of  the  enemy." 

"  Certainly ;  I  think  I  understand  what  is  re 
quired,"  replied  Somers,  as  he  descended  the  steep 
bank  of  the  ravine  into  the  water. 

The  banks  of  the  stream  were  of  course  occupied 
by  the  pickets  of  the  two  armies,  and  his  course  led 
him  through  both  of  them.  He  was  just  as  much 
exposed  to  a  shot  from  one  as  from  the  other. 
Somers  was  a  man  of  experience  in  this  business. 
He  had  earned  a  reputation  as  a  scout,  and  had  on 
three  occasions  brought  in  information  of  the  ut 
most  value  to  the  Union  commanders.  Indeed,  his 
skill  in  this  particular  branch  had  procured  for  him 
his  promotion  and  his  present  honorable  position  on 
the  staff  of  "  Fighting  Joe."  He  was  now  to  under- 


78  Fighting  Joe. 

take  a  fearful  risk — more  fearful,  perhaps,  than 
any  he  had  before  incurred ;  but  the  greater  the 
danger,  the  more  valuable  the  service  rendered  j  and 
the  result  of  to-morrow's  battle  might  depend  upon 
the  fidelity  with  which  he  discharged  his  difficult 
duty. 

He  wore  his  long  boots,  and  he  continued  to  feel 
his  way  on  the  verge  of  the  stream,  without  going 
in  beyond  his  depth.  The  ravine  was  fringed  with 
a  thick  growth  of  bushes,  which  shielded  him  from 
the  observation  of  the  pickets;  but  the  slightest 
sound  would  expose  him  to  the  fire  of  the  men.  In 
many  places  the  trees  formed  an  arch  over  the  brook, 
and  the  darkness  was  so  dense  that  he  could  hardly 
distinguish  an  object  six  feet  from  him.  He  did  not 
walk ;  he  crept,  putting  his  feet  down  as  a  cat  does 
when  she  is  on  the  point  of  pouncing  on  her  prey. 

After  advancing  a  short  distance  he  heard  low 
voices  on  tlie  banks  above  him.  He  was  passing  the 
first  line  of  pickets — that  of  the  Union  army.  His 
progress  was  very  slow,  but  he  succeeded  in  his 
purpose  without  drawing  the  fire  of  the  sentinels. 
He  was  now  between  the  two  lines,  and  he  quick 
ened  his  pace  a  little. 

While  he  was  thus  creeping  through  the  shallow 
water,  he  discovered  in  the  gloom  a  dark  object  be 
fore  him.  He  paused,  and  ascertained  that  it  was  a 
human  figure — a  man,  who  had  also  stopped ;  but 
whether  friend  or  enemy  he  could  not  determine. 


Fighting  Joe.  79 


CHAPTER  IX. 

BETWEEN    THE    PICKETS. 

THE  man  in  the  ravine  stood  stock-still,  and 
Somers  stood  stock-still.  Each  had  apparently  dis 
covered  the  other  at  the  same  moment,  and  each 
was  disturbed  by  the  same  doubts  in  regard  to  the 
other.  It  was  a  dead-lock,  to  all  intents  and  pur 
poses,  for  neither  was  willing  to  advance  and  betray 
himself  to  the  other.  Somers  had  his  pistols  ;  but 
a  shot,  if  he  was  compelled  to  shoot  the  stranger, 
might  call  forth  the  fire  of  the  pickets  on  both  sides. 

It  was  not  a  pleasant  situation  for  either  party ; 
and  they  stood  like  black  statues,  each  waiting  for 
a  movement  on  the  part  of  the  other.  The  only 
thing  that  Somers  could  do  was  to  retire  in  the 
direction  he  had  come ;  but  this  involved  the  failure 
of  the  enterprise  in  which  he  had  engaged,  and  pos 
sibly  endangered  the  result  of  the  next  day's  battle. 
He  was  not  disposed  to  withdraw ;  for  if  the  worst 
came,  he  could  shoot  his  opponent,  and  lie  down 
under  the  bank  of  the  ravine  to  shelter  himself  from 
the  fire  of  the  pickets.  He  waited  a  reasonable 
time  for  the  dark  stranger  to  say  or  do  something ; 
but  as  he  seemed  to  be  endowed  with  the  patience 
of  Job,  our  scout  decided  to  take  the  initiative 
himself. 

"  Friend  or  foe  ?  "  demanded  Somers,  in  a  low 
tone ;  for  he  was  disposed  to  confine  the  conversa 
tion  to  themselves. 


8o  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Friend,  of  course,"  replied  the  other. 

"  Which  side  do  you  belong  to,  friend  ? "  asked 
Somers,  deeming  the  answer  rather  indefinite. 

"To  the  Union  side,  of  course,"  replied  the 
stranger,  with  refreshing  promptness. 

There  was  no  non-committal  about  him,  as  might 
have  been  expected,  half  way  between  the  lines  of 
the  two  armies,  and  Somers  was  pretty  well  satis 
fied  that  he  was  what  he  claimed  to  be. 

"  Where  are  you  going?  " 

"  That's  rather  a  delicate  question,  Captain  Som 
ers,  my  dear  fellow,"  responded  the  stranger.  "  You 
are  evidently  at  your  old  tricks,  captain." 

u  Who  are  you  ?  "  demanded  Somers,  not  a  little 
surprised  and  disconcerted  at  being  recognized  in 
his  present  situation. 

"Don't  you  know  me?"  added  the  stranger, 
advancing  cautiously  towards  the  captain. 

"  I  haven't  that  pleasure." 

"  Yes,  you  have ;  though  it  is  rather  dark  here 
for  a  man  to  make  out  even  his  best  friend.  I  am 
Major  Riggleston. 

"  Are  you,  indeed  ?  "  exclaimed  Somers,  taken  all 
aback  by  the  announcement. 

He  would  rather  have  met  Stonewall  Jackson 
under  the  circumstances.  He  could  not  imagine 
what  the  major  could  possibly  be  doing  in  such  a 
place  at  such  an  hour  of  the  night,  unless  he  was 
crawling  into  the  rebel  lines,  to  take  a  part  with 
the  foe  in  the  expected  battle.  He  was  tempted  to 
shoot  him  on  the  spot,  and  thus,  while  he  removed 
an  obstacle  in  his  own  path,  rid  the  country  of  a 
traitor  and  a  dangerous  enemy  ;  but  Somers  never 
had  the  nerve  to  do  anything  that  looked  like 
deliberate  murder. 


Fighting  Joe.  81 

u  Major  Riggleston,  you  are  a  mystery  to  me," 
said  he. 

"  So  I  am  to  all  who  know  me,"  replied  the  major. 
«  Come,  captain,  let  us  sit  down  and  talk  over  the 
matter.  If  we  speak  low,  the  pickets  will  not  hear 
us.  You  are  a  man  after  my  own  heart,  and  I  de 
sire  to  have  you  understand  me  better." 

"  I  think  I  understand  you  very  well." 

"  No,  you  don't;  you  just  now  said  I  was  a  mys 
tery  to  you,"  chuckled  the  major. 

"I  mean  that  I  understand  your  objects — that 
you  are  a  traitor  to  your  cause  arid  country." 

"  My  dear  captain,  you  never  made  a  greater 
blunder  in  your  life." 

"  I  don't  see  it." 

"  You  shall  see  it,  in  the  course  of  ten  minutes,  if 
you  will  hear  me." 

"  It  is  useless  for  me  to  hear  you.  I  shall  not  be 
lieve  a  word  you  say,  after  what  passed  between  us 
yesterday." 

«  What  was  that  ?  " 

"  Didn't  you  deny  all  knowledge  of  the  affair  at 
the  Hasbrouk  house  ?  " 

"  Ton  my  word  I  did  not." 

"You  did  not?" 

«No." 

"You  have  the  worst  memory  of  any  man  in 
Maryland." 

«  That  may  be." 

"  Did  you,  when  we  met  last  evening — " 

"We  didn't  meet  last  evening,"  interposed  the 
major. 

"You  have  a  most  astonishing  memory.  I  de 
nounced  you  as  a  traitor." 


82  Fighting  Joe. 

«It  wasn't  kind  of  you  to  do  that,"  laughed 
Riggleston. 

«  Perhaps  not ;  but  it  was  true.  You  didn  t  know 
what  I  meant;  you  hadn't  the  least  knowledge  of 
the  affair  at  the  Hasbrouk  house  ?  " 

"  Of  course  not,  over  there  ! " 

The  major  took  off  his  cap  and  scratched  his  head. 
The  act  seemed  suddenly  to  vivify  his  memory. 

«  O,  I  do  remember  meeting  you  last  night,"  said 

he. 

"  Very  good ;  I  have  some  hope  of  you,  at  last 
Now,  can  you  recall  the  event  to  which  I  alluded?  " 

"  Perfectly." 

«  That  you,  in  connection  with  Miss  Hasbrouk,  at 
tempted  to  procure  my  capture  by  the  rebels?" 

« I  acknowledge  the  soft  impeachment ;  but  the 
affair  is  susceptible  of  a  different  construction  from 
that  you  put  on  it." 

« I  think  not." 

«  Upon  my  word  it  is,  my  dear  fellow.  L  intend 
to  prove  it,  and  I  am  sure  you  will  agree  with  me." 

"  First,  will  you  explain  to  me  how  you  happen  to 
be  in  this  ravine,  at  this  hour  of  the  night,  and  when 
we  are  on  the  eve  of  a  great  battle  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  I  could  explain  it  to  your  undoubted  satisfaction, 
my  dear  captain ;  but  you  must  excuse  me  for  the 
present." 

"  I  can't  excuse  you  ;  and  we  may  as  well  tight  it 
out  now  as  at  any  other  time.  You  are  a  rebel  and 
I  am  a  Union  man.  In  the  words  of  Mr.  Seward, 
there  is  an  irrepressible  conflict  between  us.  You 
have  caught  me,  and  I  have  caught  you.  I  don't 
propose  to  shirk  the  responsibility  of  my  position  ; 
but  I  suppose  one  of  us  must  die,  or  be  severely 
wounded,  to  insure  the  safety  of  the  other." 


Fighting  Joe.  83 

Somers  cocked  his  pistol.  He  had  already  made 
up  his  mind  in  regard  to  the  presence  of  Major  Rig- 
gleston  at  this  place.  His  theory  was,  that  the 
fellow  was  a  scout,  like  himself,  if  he  was  not  a  pro 
fessional  spy ;  that  at  the  time  they  happened  to 
meet,  the  major  was  passing  over  from  the  Union 
to  the  rebel  lines,  for  the  purpose  of  imparting  to 
Stonewall  Jackson,  who  was  understood  to  be  in 
command  of  the  Confederate  left  wing,  information 
in  regard  to  the  strength  and  position  of  General 
McClellan's  forces. 

"For  Heaven's  sake,  Captain  Somers,  don't  fire 
upon  me ! "  exclaimed  the  major,  as  he  heard  the 
click  of  the  pistol. 

There  could  be  no  doubt  of  the  sincerity  of  the 
fellow  in  the  use  of  these  words.  Somers  judged, 
from  what  he  had  seen  of  him,  that  he  was  one  of 
those  persons  who  were  born  to  creep,  but  by  some 
blunder  had  walked  upright,  and  thus  deceived  the 
world  in  regard  to  their  true  character.  Though 
he  called  himself  a  fighting  man,  he  was  a  cringing 
coward,  as  Somers  had  twice  before  had  occasion  to 
observe. 

"  I  have  no  wish  to  shoot  you,  Major  Riggleston. 
I  would  much  rather  be  spared  that  pain,"  said 
Somers.  "  You  have  crossed  my  path,  and  you  in 
terfere  with  my  plans." 

"  You  are  mistaken  again.  I  propose  to  explain 
everything,  and  then  we  shall  understand  each  other 
perfectly.  You  are  a  scout,  and  so  am  I.  You  are 
obtaining  information ;  so  am  I.  You  are  a  true 
Union  man ;  so  am  I." 

"  I  don't  believe  you." 

"  Here  is  my  pass ;  that  will  convince  you." 

"  I  can't  see  to  read  it." 


84  Fighting  Joe. 

"  I  will  light  a  match.  It  will  not  be  seen  in  this 
hole." 

The  major  handed  him  a  paper,  and  struck  a 
match  against  the  inside  of  his  cap. 

"  Now  read  quick." 

Somers  read :  "  The  bearer,  Major  Riggleston,  of 
the  — nd  Maryland  Home  Brigade,  is  a  true  and 
loyal  man,  and  as  such  entitled  to  receive  protec 
tion  and  assistance  from  all  officers  and  soldiers  of 
the  United  States."  The  document  was  duly  signed 
and  countersigned  by  high  and  proper  authority,  and 
the  date  was  within  the  current  month  and  year. 
The  captain  was  astonished  beyond  measure,  for  he 
had  no  doubt  of  the  correctness  of  this  safe-conduct. 
It  knocked  his  little  theory  all  to  pieces,  and  he 
was  forced,  for  the  first  time,  to  believe  that  he  had 
misjudged  the  major. 

"  Where  are  you  bound  now  ?  "  asked  he. 

"  Just  where  you  are." 

"  Do  you  carry  this  paper  with  you  ?  " 

"  Always ;  my  life  would  not  be  safe  a  moment 
without  it." 

"  I  should  say  your  life  would  not  be  safe  with  it, 
if  it  were  discovered  upon  you  within  the  rebel 
lines." 

"  There  is  no  danger  on  that  score.  I  take  good 
care  of  it.  Are  you  satisfied,  Captain  Somers  ?  " 

"  I  am  satisfied  with  the  paper ;  but  I  think  your 
employers  do  not  expect  you  to  entrap  Union 
officers,  as  you  attempted  to  do  at  the  Hasbrouk 
house." 

"  My  dear  fellow,  I  did  not  intend  to  do  anything 
of  the  kind." 

"  You  were  certainly  a  party  to  the  transaction." 

"  Apparently  I  was ;  really  I  was  not.    Now  that 


Fighting  Joe.  85 

you  understand  the  first  part  of  the  story,  I  will 
explain  the  second.  You  know  Miss  Hasbrouk  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  know  her." 

"  She  is  a  beautiful  girl — isn't  she  ?  " 

"  There  can  be  no  doubt  on  that  point ;  but  I 
suppose  you  will  tell  me  next  that  she  is  not  a  rebel, 
and  that  she  was  working  for  the  United  States 
government  when  she  got  up  that  little  conspiracy, 
and  attempted  to  have  me  hung." 

"  On  the  contrary,  she  is  a  rebel.  Jeff  Davis 
himself  is  not  a  more  thorough -going  rebel,  and  she 
was  fully  in  earnest  when  she  attempted  to  make 
you  a  prisoner." 

"  But  you  assisted  her." 

"  Apparently  only  ;  if  you  had  been  handed  over 
to  the  cavalry,  as  I  supposed  you  would  be,  it  would 
have  been  my  privilege,  as  it  would  have  been  my 
duty,  to  get  you  out  of  the  scrape,  which  I  could 
very  easily  have  done.  Maud  regards  me  as  a 
rebel." 

Somers  could  not  help  thinking  that  she  was 
more  than  half  right,  but  he  was  prudent  enough 
not  to  give  voice  to  his  thought  on  this  subject. 

"  You  helped  her  through  with  the  whole  thing." 

"  Undoubtedly  I  did,  but  with  the  intention  that 
you  should  not  suffer.  You  are  aware  that  she 
planned  the  scheme  herself ;  I  was  dragged  into  it, 
and  I  could  not  resist  without  impairing  her  con 
fidence  in  me." 

"  You  seem  to  value  very  highly  the  confidence 
of  a  rebel  woman." 

"For  the  sake  of  my  suffering  country  I  do. 
Maud  is  a  beautiful  girl;  you  acknowledge  that. 
Well,  the  rebel  officers  think  so,  too,"  added  the 
major,  pausing  as  if  to  give  his  companion  an 


86  Fighting  Joe. 

opportunity  to  comment  on  this  remarkable  par- 
tiality ;  or  perhaps  to  note  the  bearing  of  the  fact 
on  their  intimate  relations. 

"  They  are  gentlemen  of  taste,"  was  all  the  com 
ment  Somers  deemed  it  necessary  to  make. 

"  Maud  is  an  enterprising  woman.  She  takes  a 
deep  interest  in  all  army  movements,  and  worms 
out  of  the  rebel  officers  much  valuable  information, 
which  I  in  turn  worm  out  of  her ;  for  I  need  hardly 
tell  you  that  the  relations  between  Maud  and  my 
self  are  of  the  pleasantest  character." 

"  Lovers  ?  "  added  Somers. 

"  Yes,  if  you  please." 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  is  using  a  very  sacred  rela 
tion  for  a  very  vicious  purpose,"  replied  the  captain, 
whose  fine  sentiment  was  not  a  little  shocked  at  the 
thought  of  lovers  mutually  deceiving  each  other. 

"  We  work  for  our  country,  Captain  Somers." 

"  Go  on,  major." 

"  Don't  you  understand  it  all  now  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  do ;  at  least,  enough  of  it  to  compre 
hend  your  position." 

Somers,  in  spite  of  himself,  was  not  entirely 
satisfied;  certainly  not  with  the  character  of  the 
man,  if  he  was  with  the  genuineness  of  his  mission. 

"  Which  way  were  you  going  when  I  met  you  ?  " 
asked  he. 

"  The  same  way  that  you  were,"  replied  the 
major,  with  some  hesitation.  "If  you  please,  we 
will  go  on  together.  You  report  to  one  general, 
and  I  to  another  ;  but  the  substance  of  our  informa 
tion  must  be  the  same.  We  will  go  on  together, 
and  return  together." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that." 

"  I  am  entirely  safe  within  the  rebel  lines.    If  we 


Fighting  Joe.  87 

have  passed  the  Yankee  pickets,  we  have  nothing 
more  to  fear." 

The  Yankee  pickets !  This  was  not  the  form  of 
expression  usually  adopted  by  loyal  men;  and  it 
was  the  second  time  he  had  detected  his  interesting 
companion  in  using  it.  It  seemed  to  be  habitual 
with  him  ;  but  perhaps  it  was  because  he  had  spent 
so  much  of  his  time  within  the  rebel  lines,  pursuing 
the  duties  of  his  calling. 

"  I  think  we  had  better  keep  within  the  ravine." 
"  Very  well ;  but  I  have  a  rebel  safe-conduct." 
"  Would  you  let  me  see  them  both,  if  you  please." 
"  Certainly,  if  you  desire  it,"  replied  the  major, 
but  with  evident  reluctance. 

He  produced  them  both,  with  the  remark  that  it 
was  not  necessary  to  read  the  true  one  again ;  but 
Somers  wished  it,  and  he  yielded.  The  major 
lighted  a  match,  and  the  captain  read  both  the 
documents.  As  he  finished  the  match  went  out, 
and  they  were  in  total  darkness  again. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  said  Somers,  suddenly  springing 
to  his  feet,  with  the  papers  in  his  hand. 

It  was  a  shot  from  the  pickets;  but  there  had 
been  one  every  ten  minutes  since  they  sat  down. 


CHAPTER  X. 

MAJOR   RIGGLESTON. 


SOMERS  had  thrust  the  papers  into  his  pocket, 
pretending  to  fear  a  sudden  onslaught  of  the  pickets ; 
but  the  alarm  passed  without  any  consequences, 
serious  or  otherwise. 


88  Fighting  Joe. 

"We  are  perfectly  safe,  captain,"  said  Major 
Riggleston.  **  I  believe  you  did  not  give  me  back 
my  papers." 

"Here  they  are,"  replied  he,  handing  him  the 
blank  letter  which  had  played  so  important  a  part 
hi  the  attempt  to  capture  him  at  the  Hasbrouk 
nouse,  and  which  he  had  put  in  his  pocket  at  the 
time.  "  We  are  losing  the  whole  night,  and  we  had 
better  move  on.  I  am  satisfied  with  the  prospect, 
but  I  would  rather  not  expose  myself  to  the  rebel 
pickets." 

"  As  you  please ;  we  can  go  through  this  place 
without  being  seen  or  heard.  But  I  am  well  known 
all  through  the  rebel  army,  and  I  shall  not  be 
molested  when  I  give  my  name." 

"Then  you  will  be  a  useful  friend  to  me." 

"  That's  what  I  have  been  trying  to  prove  to  you. 
Perhaps  I  ought  to  say  that  I  actually  hold  a  com 
mission  in  the  Confederate  cavalry,  which  enables 
me  to  stand  square  before  the  rebels  whiie  I  give 
information  to  our  own  people.  You  understand 
me." 

"  Perfectly." 

"I  have  told  you  what  no  other  living  man 
knows ;  for  even  the  high  authority  that  employs 
me  has  no  conception  of  the  means  by  which  I  pro 
cure  my  information.  I  have  trusted  you,  because 
you  are  a  man  after  my  own  heart.  What  you  did 
in  Virginia  endears  you  to  me.  We  are  kindred 
spirits,  and  it  is  proper  that  we  should  understand 
each  other." 

Somers  hoped  they  were  not  kindred  spirits ;  for 
if  the  major  was  what  he  claimed  to  be,  there  could 
be  but  little  sympathy  between  them.  He  was  a 
coward  and  a  brag ;  and  he  told  more  lies  than  even 


Fighting  Joe.  89 

his  dangerous  profession  required.  He  used  the 
sacred  relations  of  life  for  his  own  purposes.  But 
Soraers  was  not  satisfied,  as  we  have  before  sug 
gested.  The  major  had  a  safe-conduct  from  the 
authorities  on  both  sides ;  and  whatever  weight  he 
had  given  to  the  loyal  one  was  neutralized  by  the 
production  of  the  other.  It  was  possible  that  he 
had  procured  it  for  the  purpose  of  doing  Union 
work ;  but  one  pass  nullified  the  other ;  and  the 
captain  was  still  in  doubt  as  to  which  side  his  ver 
satile  companion  actually  belonged — so  much  in 
doubt  that  he  was  fully  determined  not  to  run  any 
risks. 

Major  Biggleston  led.the  way  up  the  ravine,  both 
of  them  creeping  and  crawling  at  a  snail's  pace,  so 
as  not  to  attract  the  attention  of  the  pickets  on  the 
bank  above  them.  Somers  would  not  have  been 
very  much  surprised  if  the  "  kindred  spirit  "  before 
him  had  summoned  the  soldiers  to  make  him  a  pris 
oner  ;  but  he  stood  prepared  for  such  an  emergency. 
His  pistol  was  ready  for  immediate  use ;  and  if  a 
scene  occurred,  he  trusted  to  the  darkness  of  the 
night  and  the  friendly  shelter  of  the  ravine  to  pro 
mote  his  escape. 

Apparently  the  highly  respectable  scout  in  his 
company  had  no  intention  of  betraying  him,  for  they 
passed  in  safety  through  the  line  of  rebel  pickets, 
and  emerged  from  the  ravine  into  a  grove  of  oaks. 
If  the  major  had  set  a  trap  to  make  him  a  prisoner, 
or  had  resorted  to  a  scheme  to  save  himself  from  a 
personal  encounter  in  the  lonely  gorge,  there  was 
no  longer  any  need  that  he  should  keep  up  his  pre 
tensions,  for  the  camp  fires  of  the  rebels  were  to  be 
seen  in  every  direction.  Only  a  few  rods  from  the 


96  Fighting  Joe. 

spot  where  they  stood  there  was  a  body  of  cavalry 
bivouacking  on  the  ground. 

Somers  was  a  prey  to  the  most  painful  doubts. 
Uppermost  in  his  mind  was  the  wish  to  discharge 
with  fidelity  the  difficult  and  dangerous  task  which 
had  been  imposed  upon  him ;  and  if  Major  Riggle- 
ston  was  what  he  claimed,  he  would  be  an  invalu 
able  assistant  to  him.  His  two  passes,  one  from 
each  party  in  the  great  strife,  proved  nothing  for  or 
against  him.  It  was  utterly  impossible,  therefore, 
to  reach  a  satisfactory  conclusion  in  regard  to  his 
companion.  Bnt  it  was  not  prudent  to  place  him 
self  in  a  situation  where  he  could  be  easily  captured. 
All  he  could  do  was  to  permit  affairs  to  take  their 
own  course  until  some  further  developments  should 
enable  him  to  act  intelligently.  As  they  were  now 
actually  within  the  rebel  lines,  the  conclusion  of  the 
whole  matter  must  soon  be  reached. 

"This  is  rather  dangerous  business,"  said  the 
major,  as  they  stepped  from  the  bank  into  the  oak 
grove. 

"We  must  proceed  with  the  utmost  caution,"  re 
plied  Somers,  nervously,  as  he  gazed  earnestly  at 
his  associate,  to  obtain,  if  he  could,  any  clew  to  his 
purpose. 

"  If  you  confide  in  me,  Captain  Somers,  you  will 
be  safe,  unless  some  stupid  sentinel  takes  it  into  his 
head  to  fire  upon  us,  which  is  really  the  only  danger 
we  incur." 

"  I  think  we  had  better  avoid  these  camps  and 
squads  of  soldiers  as  much  as  possible.  Do  you 
know  where  the  main  line  of  Jackson's  army  is  ?  " 

"  Certainly  I  do ;  I  will  show  it  to  you  in  due  time." 

"Is  he  fortified?" 

"  You  shall  see  in  a  short  time." 


Fighting  Joe.  QI 

"  How  many  men  has  he  ?  " 

"  About  seventy  thousand  " 

Somers  knew  better  than  this ;  and  the  answer 
sounded  very  much  like  a  Confederate  reply  to  a 
Union  question. 

"  Now  follow  me,"  said  the  major,  "  and  whatever 
happens,  don't  be  alarmed." 

Riggleston  led  the  way  through  the  grove ;  but 
they  had  advanced  only  a  few  paces  before  they 
were  challenged  by  a  rebel  soldier.  The  major 
replied  to  the  demand  with  easy  self-possession,  in- 
forming  the  soldier  who  he  was.  It  was  all  right, 
and  they  were  permitted  to  proceed  on  their  way. 

"  You  see  it  is  all  right,  captain,"  said  the  major, 
as  they  entered  the  open  field  beyond  the  grove. 

"  They  know  you  very  well." 

"  Of  course  they  do." 

"If  you  know  all  about  the  situation  and  the 
force  of  the  rebels,  what  is  the  use  of  going  any 
farther  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  the  major,  rather  confused 
at  the  question.  "  But,  Somers,  you  wear  your  staff 
uniform." 

« I  do." 

"  That's  a  mistake.  It  will  expose  yourself  and 
me,"  he  added  with  some  appearance  of  alarm.  "  If 
I  had  seen  what  you  had  on  before,  I  should  not 
have  dared  to  come  with  you." 

"  I  don't  intend  to  show  myself  to  these  people." 

"  But  we  were  challenged  only  a  moment  since ; 
and  if  the  soldiers  had  noticed  your  uniform,  they 
would  have  detained  you." 

"  If  I  had  been  alone,  I  should  not  have  exposed 
myself  to  their  gaze." 

"  It's  a  mistake,  and  we  must  correct  it." 


92  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Half  the  rebel  officers  wear  Union  colors.  They 
rob  our  people  of  their  coats,  and  don't  scruple  to 
wear  them." 

"  But  a  staff  uniform  !  " 

"  I  think  we  had  better  separate  here  ;  I  will  take 
care  of  myself,  and  you  can  pursue  your  investiga 
tions  in  your  own  way." 

"  You  would  be  taken  in  less  than  half  an  hour. 
There  is  a  house  over  here,  where  I  can  get  you  a 
farmer's  frock,  or  something  of  that  kind." 

"  Then,  if  taken,  I  am  an  officer  in  disguise ;  and 
it  would  go  hard  with  me." 

"  I  think  it  would  any  way." 

"  Perhaps  it  would." 

"  You  are  pretty  well  known  by  reputation.  You 
had  better  change  your  name." 

t*  Perhaps  I  will,  if  I  have  to  give  my  name." 

*  Who  goes  there  ?  "  demanded  a  squad  of  men, 
as  they  were  on  the  point  of  crossing  a  rough  farm- 
road. 

"  Friends,"  replied  the  major. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Major  Riggleston." 

"  We  have  just  caught  a  Yankee  spy — a  fellow 
crawling  into  our  lines,"  replied  one  of  the  men. 

There  were  four  of  them ;  they  had  a  prisoner 
whom  they  were  conducting  up  the  road  towards 
the  main  body  of  Jackson's  division. 

"  Where  did  you  get  him  ?  " 

"  Up  in  the  cornfield  beyond.  He  was  crawling 
on  his  hands  and  knees  between  the  rows,  and  had 
got  almost  through  when  we  found  him.  We  shall 
do  some  hanging  in  the  morning.  What  shall  we 
do  with  him,  major  ?  " 

Somers  looked  with  interest  and  sympathy  at  the 


Fighting  Joe.  93 

poor  fellow  thus  entrapped ;  but  the  major  was  a 
Union  man,  and  of  course  he  would  save  him  from 
his  fate  the  moment  he  could  consistently  with  the 
duty  of  keeping  up  appearances. 

"  Take  him  up  to  this  house,"  said  the  major, 
pointing  in  the  direction  he  was  leading  Somers. 

The  men  obeyed.  Their  dangling  sabers  indicated 
that  they  belonged  to  the  cavalry  ;  and  the  obedience 
they  rendered  Major  Riggleston  further  indicated 
that  they  belonged  to  his  battalion. 

"  Why  should  these  men  obey  you  ? "  asked 
Somers,  wishing  to  settle  this  point. 

"  They  are  my  men.  I  told  you  I  held  a  commis 
sion  in  the  cavalry — for  the  good  cause,  you  know." 

'  I  understand." 

'  By  the  way,  captain,  have  you  seen  Miss  Has- 
brouk  since  we  met  last  ?  " 

*  I  have  not." 

'  She  follows  the  army.  " 

'  Which  army  ?  " 

'  The  rebel  army,  of  course." 

'What  for?" 

'Because  she  likes  it,  I  suppose.  She  is  very 
useful  as  a  nurse,  they  say.  Of  course  I  don't  dis 
courage  her ;  for  I  make  her  serviceable  to  the  good 
cause,  you  know." 

The  farmhouse  was  now  in  sight,  and  there  was 
a  light  in  one  of  the  front  rooms.  Without  the 
ceremony  of  knocking,  the  major  opened  the  door 
and  entered,  ordering  the  four  cavalrymen  to  follow 
him  with  their  prisoner. 

"  Come  in,"  said  he. 

"Who  is  in  this  house?"  demanded  Somers, 
shrinking  from  the  light  which  he  saw  within. 

"  Only  women,  with  a  few  wounded  men.   I  want 


94  Fighting  Joe. 

to  see  this  prisoner,  and  find  a  good  excuse  for  letting 
him  go,"  replied  the  major,  in  a  whisper. 

Somers  entered  the  house,  where  the  prisoner  had 
already  been  conducted.  To  his  surprise  and  cha 
grin  he  discovered  that  the  unfortunate  was  Captain 
Bark  wood ;  but  the  major  did  not  seem  to  recognize 
his  companion  in  the  skirmish  on  the  road  and  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Riggleston  in  Frederick. 

"  Two  of  you  hold  your  prisoner,"  said  the  major 
to  the  soldiers,  as  they  entered  the  small  room. 

"  Now,  Captain  Somers,"  he  added,  when  Captain 
Barkwood  had  been  placed  in  a  corner  with  two 
men  holding  him,  "  allow  me  to  add,  that  we  have 
carried  this  farce  quite  far  enough,  and  that  you  are 
also  a  prisoner." 

At  this  moment,  to  the  astonishment  of  Somers, 
Maud  Hasbrouk  entered  the  room  to  learn  the  cause 
of  the  commotion, — for  it  appeared  afterwards  that 
she  was  here  nursing  a  couple  of  officers  who  had 
been  wounded  at  South  Mountain. 

"  Why,  major,  I  did  not  expect  to  see  you  at  this 
early  hour  of  the  night,"  said  she. 

"  I  have  brought  up  one  of  your  friends,"  added 
he,  laughing,  as  he  pointed  at  Somers. 

"  Captain  Somers  !  "  exclaimed  she,  as  a  smile  of 
triumph  lighted  up  the  features  of  the  beauty. 
"  This  is  an  unexpected  pleasure.  I  hope  you  are 
quite  well,  Captain  Somers." 

"  As  well  as  usual,  I  thank  you,"  replied  he. 

"We  need  not  add  that  he  was  bewildered  by  the 
new  situation,  and  roundly  condemned  his  own  folly 
in  permitting  himself  to  be  led  into  such  a  trap.  It 
was  quite  evident  that  the  treacherous  major  had 
brought  him  to  this  house  for  the  purpose  of  per 
mitting  Miss  Maud  to  enjoy  the  triumph.  He  was 


Fighting  Joe.  95 

determined  not  to  afford  her  much  satisfaction.  It 
might  prove  to  be  a  hanging  affair  to  him,  and  he 
felt  himself  warranted  in  resorting  to  the  most 
desperate  remedies.  It  was  better  to  die  by  a  bullet 
or  a  saber  cut  than  perish  by  the  rope. 

"  I  have  been  entertaining  our  friend  the  captain 
for  the  last  hour  with  an  account  of  my  services  to 
the  Yankees,  all  of  which  he  has  swallowed  as  a  fish 
does  a  worm,  without  seeing  the  hook  within.  He 
came  here  like  a  lamb  ;  and  as  you  had  some  spar 
ring  with  him  on  a  former  occasion,  when  he  rather 
got  the  better  of  you,  I  thought  you  would  like  to 
see  him  before  I  send  him  and  the  other  enterprising 
gentleman  to  the  rear." 

"I  am  delighted  to  see  him.  And  the  other 
gentleman  is  Captain  Barkwood.  He  belongs  to 
the  regulars." 

"  I  never  saw  him  before,"  replied  the  major. 

Somers  thought  he  had  another  attack  of  bad 
memory ;  but  the  situation  was  too  exciting  to 
permit  him  to  dwell  on  minor  discrepancies.  When 
the  major  called  him  a  prisoner,  Somers  had  quietly 
fallen  back  into  the  corner  of  the  room  behind  the 
door  by  which  he  had  entered.  Barkwood  had  been 
thrust  back  into  another  corner  at  his  left,  while 
Maud  and  the  major  stood  diagonally  opposite  to 
him,  and  near  the  door  by  which  she  had  entered 
from  the  chamber  of  her  patients.  The  two  caval 
rymen  not  employed  were  standing  half  way  between 
Somers  and  Barkwood. 

"  I'm  sure  I  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Captain 
Somers,"  laughed  Maud.  "  I  came  over  here  to  take 
care  of  two  sick  friends,  and  expected  nothing  but 
a  melancholy  time.  Your  presence  fills  me  with 
satisfaction." 


96  Fighting  Joe. 

"  I  am  greatly  obliged  to  you,  and  thankful  that 
I  am  able  to  do  something  more  towards  discharging 
the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  to  you  for  your  kind 
ness  on  a  former  occasion.  You  are  fond  of  situa 
tions,  and  I  am  again  the  central  figure  in  one," 
answered  Somers,  without  any  apparent  apprecia 
tion  of  the  difficulty  and  danger  of  his  position. 
"  Would  you  like  to  ask  me  any  questions  ?  " 

"  I  cannot  stop  to  question  you  now ;  my  patients 
need  my  care.  You  would  evade  them  if  I  did  ; 
besides,  this  is  Major  Riggleston's  affair,  not  mine," 
replied  she,  with  a  mocking  laugh. 

"  And  I  will  take  care  that  this  affair  don't  go 
wrong,"  said  the  major.  "  Soldiers,  secure  your 
prisoners." 

The  two  men  moved  towards  Somers  in  the  corner. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

SHOT    IN    THE    HEAD. 

THE  critical  moment,  when  everything  depended 
npon  the  wisdom  and  energy  of  the  next  move,  had 
arrived.  As  Major  Riggleston  issued  his  order, 
Somers  raised  one  of  his  pistols,  and,  taking  hasty 
but  careful  aim  at  his  treacherous  companion,  fired. 
While  her  accepted  suitor  was  uttering  his  mandate, 
Maud,  as  if  fearing  a  repetition  of  the  uncomfortable 
proceeding  at  the  Hasbrouk  house,  retreated  into 
the  apartment  occupied  by  her  patients.  The  baV 
struck  the  major  in  the  head,  and  he  fell,  with  i 
shock  that  caused  the  rude  structure  to  tremble. 


Fighting  Joe.  97 

A  half -suppressed  shriek  from  the  sick-room 
assured  those  in  the  front  apartment  that  Maud 
was  aware  active  proceedings  had  commenced, 
though  she  could  not  have  known  who  was  the  first 
victim  in  the  encounter.  The  two  soldiers,  who 
had  been  ordered  to  arrest  the  staff  officer,  were 
bold  enough  to  move  upon  their  intended  victim ; 
but  they  only  rushed  upon  the  barrel  of  a  revolver, 
pointed  by  the  hand  of  one  skilled  in  the  business, 
and  collected  enough  to  do  his  work  carefully  and 
effectively. 

Again  Somers  fired,  and  the  foremost  of  the  two 
soldiers  fell  dead  upon  the  floor.  He  fired  a  third 
time,  and  the  other  soldier  shrank  back  with  the 
ball  in  his  right  shoulder.  The  two  men  in  charge 
of  Captain  Barkwood  had  been  too  often  in  the 
midst  of  death  and  carnage  to  be  appalled  by  these 
exciting  events. 

"  Hold  this  man ! "  exclaimed  the  more  decided 
of  the  two,  "  and  I  will  make  short  work  of  that 
fellow." 

"  Shoot  him,"  replied  the  other.    "  Do  it  quick." 

He  attempted  to  do  it  quick ;  too  quick,  for  he 
missed  his  mark.  He  fired  again,  but  the  smoke 
impaired  his  aim.  At  this  moment  Captain  Bark- 
wood,  conscious  that  the  time  for  a  demonstration 
in  favor  of  his  friend  had  come,  with  a  sharp, 
nervous  movement,  freed  himself  from  the  grasp  of 
the  rebel  in  charge  of  him,  and  struck  him  a  tre 
mendous  blow  in  the  temple  with  his  bare  fist, 
which  felled  him  to  the  floor.  Not  satisfied  with 
this  deed,  he  sprang  upon  the  other  soldier,  who  was 
in  the  act  of  firing  upon  Somers  for  the  third  time. 
Grasping  him  by  the  shoulders  with  both  hands,  he 
brought  his  knee  violently  into  the  small  of  hia 


98  Fighting  Joe. 

back,  and  thus  threw  him  down.  Seizing  his  pistol, 
he  struck  him  a  heavy  blow  on  the  head  with  the 
weapon. 

"  I  surrender,"  said  the  wounded  man, — who  was 
the  only  one  of  the  four  in  condition  to  speak, — as 
Somers  moved  towards  him. 

The  young  captain  took  the  saber  from  his  belt, 
and  opening  the  window,  tossed  it  out.  All  active 
opposition  had  been  conquered,  but  two  of  the  men 
were  only  stunned,  and  in  a  short  time  they  would 
probably  be  able  to  speak  and  act  for  themselves. 

"  Captain  Somers,  I  would  hug  you  if  I  had 
time,"  said  Barkwood.  "  What  shall  we  do  next  ?  " 

"  I  hardly  know,"  replied  Somers.  "  If  we  leave 
the  house,  we  may  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  first 
squad  of  soldiers  we  meet.  Besides,  we  have  not 
done  our  work  yet.  We  must  first  look  after  the 
lady." 

Somers,  stepping  over  the  body  of  Major  Riggle- 
ston,  which  lay  near  the  door,  entered  the  apartment 
occupied  by  the  wounded  officers.  There  was  no 
light  there,  and  he  returned  to  bring  that  in  the 
front  room.  He  found  Maud  standing  in  the  middle 
of  the  room,  apparently  paralyzed  with  terror. 

tt  Miss  Hasbrouk,  here  is  another  officer  who  needs 
your  care,  if  he  is  not  already  past  it." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ? "  asked  she,  in  husky 
tones. 

"  Major  Riggleston  has  fallen." 

She  uttered  a  faint  scream.  She  was  so  enfeebled 
by  terror  that  she  seemed  not  to  have  the  strength 
to  do  anything.  She  was  more  at  talking  than  she 
was  at  acting. 

«  What  shall  I  do?"  asked  she. 

"  Come  and  see,"  replied  he. 


Fighting  Joe.  99 

She  timidly  followed  him  'into  the  adjoining 
room,  and  gazed  with  fear  and  trembling  upon  the 
form  of  the  major. 

"  Is  he — is  he — dead  ?  "  gasped  she. 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Somers,  stooping  down, 
and  glancing  at  the  wound  on  the  major's  head. 
"  No,  he  is  not  dead,  and  probably  will  not  die  with 
that  wound." 

"  What  shall  I  do  ?    Will  you  call  a  surgeon  ?  " 

«  I  think  not." 

"  We  have  no  time  to  spare,  Captain  Somers," 
interposed  'the  regular,  with  a  smile  at  the  simple 
question  of  the  frightened  Maud. 

"  We  will  make  our  escape.  We  will  go  by  the 
grove  to  the  north  of  the  house — to  the  north"  said 
Somers,  with  peculiar  emphasis. 

"  To  the  north,"  repeated  Barkwood  with  the 
same  emphasis,  though  |he  did  not  understand  the 
strategy  of  his  companion. 

"  We  need  not  hurry ;  the  more  haste,  the  less 
speed  in  the  business,"  replied  Somers,  as  he  bent 
over  the  prostrate  form  of  the  major  again. 

This  time  he  took  from  his  body  the  large,  loose 
coat  which  ttie  treacherous  rebel  had  worn,  and 
picked  up  the  felt  hat,  adorned  with  a  black  feather, 
which  had  dropped  from  his  head. 

"  He  is  killed,"  said  Maud,  who  was  beginning  to 
recover  her  self-possession. 

"  Perhaps  he  is  ;  but  that  is  his  fault,  not  mine," 
replied  Somers,  as  he  led  the  way  out  of  the  door, 
followed  by  the  regular.  "  If  either  of  you  attempt 
to  follow  us,  or  leave  the  house  within  half  an  hour, 
it  will  cost  you  your  lives,"  he  added,  addressing 
Maud  and  the  wounded  soldier. 

"  May  I  not  send  for  a  surgeon  ?  "  asked  she, 


ioo  Fighting  Joe. 

with  a  meekness  which  ill  comported  with  her 
former  imperious  manner. 

"  No." 

"  But  the  major  will  die." 

«  I  can't  help  it." 

"  I  will  not  say  anything  about  you,  if  you  will 
allow  me  to  send  for  assistance." 

"  Half  an  hour  will  make  no  difference  to  him," 
answered  Somers,  as  he  left  the  house.  "  Come 
with  me,"  added  he  to  the  regular,  when  they 
reached  the  open  air. 

He  led  the  way  to  the  rear  of  the  house,  where 
there  were  a  number  of  sheds,  and  other  out-build 
ings,  used  for  various  farm  purposes.  One  of  these 
he  entered,  followed  by  the  regular,  who  seemed  to 
repose  unlimited  confidence  in  the  tact  and  ability 
of  his  young  companion. 

"  What  next,  Somers  ?  "  asked  Barkwood,  in  a 
whisper. 

"  Nothing  just  yet.  There  will  be  a  tremendous 
row  round  here  in  the  course  of  ten  minutes,  or 
at  most  half  an  hour.  All  we  want  just  now  is  a 
snug  place  to  lie  by  in  until  the  tempest  blows 
over." 

M  But  you  are  not  going  to  stop  here — are  you  ?  " 
demanded  the  regular,  in  a  tone  which  sufficiently 
expressed  his  astonishment  at  such  a  policy. 

"  This  is  the  best  place  in  the  world  for  us.  I 
am  not  a  strategist,  as  you  are,  captain ;  but  I  have 
a  fixed  principle  for  use  in  cases  of  this  kind,  and 
that  is,  to  stow  myself  away  in  a  place  where  they 
are  least  likely  to  look  for  me." 

"Very  good ;  but  where  is  that  place?" 

«  Here,  in  this  house." 

"That's  cool." 


Fighting  Joe.  101 

« But  it  is  the  best  logic  in  the  world.  I  don't 
want  to  influence  you  in  your  movements,  Captain 
Barkwood ;  but  I  don't  intend  to  return  without  the 
information  which  I  came  out  to  procure.  If  you 
want  to  return  to  the  camp,  I  will  tell  you  how  you 
can  manage,  though  I  think  you  had  better  remain 
with  me." 

"  I  am  entirely  of  your  opinion,"  whispered  the 
regular,  with  a  suppressed  chuckle.  "  You  are  an 
old  head  at  this  business,  and  I  am  as  green  at  it  as 
a  two  months'  baby." 

"  As  you  please,  captain.  For  my  own  part,  I  feel 
tolerably  safe  now.  I  was  a  fool  to  trust  that  Rig- 
gleston." 

"  He  is  an  infernal  villain." 

"  Hush !  "  said  Somers,  finding  his  companion  was 
becoming  a  little  too  emphatic  for  safety.  "  I  must 
find  a  place  to  stow  you  away." 

In  the  back  room,  of  the  house,  which  was  only  a 
shed  attached  to  the  rear  of  the  building,  Somers 
found  a  large  closet,  which  seemed  to  be  a  kind  of 
lumber  room.  In  this  he  bestowed  his  companion, 
and  rolled  a  large  chopping-block  up  before  the 
door.  While  he  was  engaged  in  this  operation,  the 
door  leading  from  the  kitchen  into  the  shed  opened, 
and  an  old  black  woman  rushed  out,  apparently 
deeply  moved  by  some  circumstance  which  Somers 
had  no  difficulty  in  understanding.  She  had  a 
light  in  her  hand,  which  at  once  revealed  to  her  the 
presence  of  a  stranger  upon  her  own  peculiar 
territory. 

"De  Lo'd!"  exclaimed  she,  starting  back  with 
alarm. 

"  Silence,  aunty !  Don't  speak  again,"  said  Somers, 
in  a  low  tone. 


102  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Gracious !  Dat's  Massa  Riggleston ! "  added  she, 
shrinking  back. 

The  scout  had  put  on  the  greatcoat  and  feathered 
hat  of  the  major,  which  seemed  to  explain  the  terror 
of  the  woman. 

"  Where  are  you  going,  aunty  ?  " 

"  For  de  doctor,"  said  she;  "but  if  you  be  de 
ghost  ob  Massa  Riggleston,  'taint  no  use  for  de 
doctor,  for  de  major  must  be  dead." 

"  No  matter  what  I  am,  aunty.     Come  with  me." 

"  De  Lo'd  sabe  us  !  " 

"  If  you  behave  yourself,  and  don't  make  a  noise, 
I  will  not  hurt  you,"  said  he,  as  he  led  the  way  out 
of  the  shed. 

"Where  be  I  gwine,  massa?" 

"  No  matter ;  keep  still." 

A  few  steps  from  the  door  was  a  small  tool-house, 
which  Somers  opened,  and  ordered  the  woman  to  go 
in.  She  tremblingly  obeyed,  and  he  closed  the  door 
upon  her,  with  an  injunction  to  keep  entirely  silent, 
which  she  seemed  disposed  to  obey.  Fastening  the 
door  upon  her,  he  returned  to  the  house,  satisfied 
that  she  would  not  further  interfere  with  his  plans. 

The  black  woman  had  left  the  kitchen  door  open, 
and  Somers  walked  in,  with  the  light  in  his  hand. 
There  was  a  fire  hi  the  stove,  on  which  there  were 
several  dishes  of  gruel,  and  other  articles  necessary 
for  the  sick-room.  It  was  evident  that  the  farmer 
and  his  family  had  been  turned  out  of  the  house,  for 
no  other  persons  appeared  to  disturb  his  operations. 
His  long,  heavy  boots  were  not  favorable  to  stealthy 
movements,  and  he  retired  to  the  back  room  to  re 
move  them.  After  satisfying  himself,  by  a  further 
examination,  in  regard  to  the  structure  of  the  house, 
and  the  position  of  the  doors  and  windows,  he  ex- 


Fighting  Joe.  103 

tinguished  the  light,  and  passed  from  the  kitchen 
to  the  front  entry. 

The  door  connecting  with  the  front  room,  where 
the  exciting  events  of  the  evening  had  occurred,  was 
open.  Maud,  in  the  deepest  distress,  was  talking  to 
the  wounded  soldier.  He  was  unable  or  unwilling 
to  do  anything,  and  Maud  depended  upon  the  black 
woman  for  aid.  Somers  concealed  himself  under 
the  stairs,  and  waited  for  further  developments. 

He  was  not  compelled  to  wait  long ;  for  presently 
he  heard  footsteps,  which  indicated  the  arrival  of  at 
least  half  a  dozen  persons. 

"  It  is  hardly  time  for  the  return  of  Major  Rig- 
gleston,"  said  one  of  them. 

"  We  are  rather  early ;  but  when  he  comes,  he 
will  bring  us  the  fullest  intelligence,"  added  another, 
as  they  entered  the  front  room. 

Then  there  was  a  commotion,  which  was  produced 
by  the  discovery  of  what  had  taken  place  in  the 
apartment.  There  was  nothing  but  a  board  parti 
tion  between  Somers  and  the  interior  of  the  room, 
and  he  could  distinctly  hear  everything  that  was 
said.  Maud  told,  in  few  words,  what  had  happened 
in  the  room ;  that  Major  Riggleston  had  been  shot 
in  the  head  in  his  attempt  to  capture  two  prisoners, 
and  that  the  men  who  had  done  the  foul  deed  had 
escaped.  From  what  was  said  it  was  evident  that 
one  of  the  officers  was  a  person  high  in  command — 
a  general  of  division,  if  not  Stonewall  Jackson  him 
self.  The  others  called  him  simply  "  general,"  and 
Somers  could  not  determine  who  he  was.  The 
officers  with  him  were  probably  members  of  his 
staff. 

The  general  immediately  despatched  one  of  his 
officers  to  institute  a  strict  search  for  the  spies  who 


104  Fighting  Joe. 

had  done  this  terrible  work.  He  regretted  that  it 
had  not  been  discovered  before ;  for  the  miscreants, 
as  he  called  them,  in  the  most  complimentary  terms, 
were  probably  a  good  distance  from  the  house  by 
this  time. 

"  I  know  which  way  they  went,  general,"  said 
Maud,  eagerly.  "They  went  to  the  north  of  the 
house." 

"To  the  north,  general,"  added  the  wounded 
soldier ;  for  both  of  them  had  carefully  treasured 
up  this  information,  dropped  hastily  from  the  mouths 
of  the  scouts,  for  future  use,  as  Somers  intended 
they  should. 

"Very  well;  pursue  them  towards  the  north, 
colonel,"  resumed  the  general.  "  But  don't  say  a 
word  about  what  has  happened  in  this  house  till 
morning.  It  will  help  us  in  the  search." 

The  speaker  proceeded  to  give  very  careful  direc 
tions  for  the  pursuit  and  the  search,  to  all  of  which 
Somers  listened  with  the  deepest  interest.  The 
colonel  who  had  been  charged  with  the  duty, 
departed. 

"What  do  you  think  of  him,  doctor?"  asked 
Maud,  revealing  to  the  listener  the  fact  that  one  of 
the  officers  was  a  surgeon. 

She  was  sad  and  depressed,  and  asked  the  ques 
tion  with  trembling  tones,  which  betrayed  her 
solicitude  for  the  wounded  major. 

"  I  don't  think  he  is  very  badly  wounded.  The 
ball  has  passed  through  his  head ;  but  worse  cases 
than  this  have  occurred,  and  the  patients  are  alive 
and  well  to-day,"  replied  the  surgeon. 

The  wounded  man  was  taken  up  and  borne  to  a 
bed  in  the  chamber  with  Maud's  other  patients; 
after  which  the  soldiers  received  some  attention. 


Fighting  Joe.  105 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE    COUNCIL    OF    OFFICERS. 

SOMEES  heard  all  that  was  said  in  the  front  room, 
and  judged  from  that,  and  the  sounds  which  reached 
him,  what  was  taking  place  there.  The  two  men 
who  were  stunned  came  to  their  senses,  after  a  while, 
and  they  were  sent  off  with  the  dead  and  the 
wounded  ones;  for  it  appeared  that  the  general 
wanted  the  apartment  for  a  consultation  with  his 
officers.  It  was  expected  that  Major  Kiggleston 
would  be  present  at  this  place  with  fresh  informa 
tion  from  the  Yankee  lines ;  and  the  listener  con 
gratulated  himself  that  he  had  been  able  to  disap 
point  them  in  this  respect. 

The  major  had  chosen  the  ravine  for  his  passage 
through  the  pickets,  and  it  was  now  evident  that  he 
intended  to  resume  his  work  as  soon  as  he  had  dis 
posed  of  his  prisoner.  The  fellow  was  armed  with 
a  pass,  and,  Somers  well  knew,  was  regarded  in  the 
loyal  lines  as  a  major  of  the  — nd  Maryland  Home 
Brigade,  and  could  therefore  go  where  he  pleased, 
even  into  the  very  councils  of  the  general  command 
ing  the  army  of  the  Potomac. 

Somers  believed  he  had  made  a  great  discovery. 
The  rebels  always  knew  precisely  when  and  where 
the  army  of  the  Potomac  were  going  to  move. 
When  McClellan  had  actually  made  up  his  mind  to 
attack  the  forces  fortified  at  Manassas,  they  sud 
denly  decamped.  All  his  movements  for  months 


io6  Fighting  Joe. 

were  mysteriously  communicated  to  the  enemy,  even 
before  the  general  officers  of  the  loyal  army  were 
informed  in  regard  to  them.  People  wondered,  the 
press  commented  severely,  and  the  government  was 
perplexed. 

Captain  Somers  thought  he  understood  all  about 
it  now,  and  believed  that  he  had  laid  out  the  man 
who  had  done  all  this  mischief.  Much  as  we  admire 
the  captain,  our  hero,  we  are  compelled  to  say  that 
he  was  mistaken.  He  had  really  made  no  such  dis 
covery,  and  had  achieved  no  such  tremendous  result 
as  the  killing  of  the  one  who  had  done  this  immense 
injury  to  the  loyal  cause,  as  future  pages  in  our 
history  will  show.  But  he  believed  Major  Riggle- 
ston,  whom  he  had  seen  in  the  staff  of  the  general 
commanding,  was  the  man  who  had  conveyed  all 
this  information ;  he  believed  he  had  made  this 
great  discovery,  accomplished  this  big  thing;  and 
he  took  courage  accordingly. 

Major  Riggleston  was  not  there  to  speak  of  what 
the  Yankees  had  done,  and  what  they  intended  to 
do ;  but  for  all  this,  the  consultation  of  officers  pro 
ceeded.  Somers  heard  them  discuss  their  own  posi 
tion  and  that  of  the  enemy ;  he  heard  them  suggest 
all  manner  of  possibilities  and  probabilities,  and  how 
to  meet  them  ;  but  they  did  not  speak  so  definitely 
as  he  wished  they  would.  They  alluded  to  a  line 
of  field-works,  which  the  listener  was  unable  to 
locate. 

Somers  was  coiled  up  behind  a  chest  of  drawers, 
and  did  not  concern  himself  at  all  about  his  personal 
safety.  He  was  too  deeply  interested  in  the  labors 
of  the  council  to  think  of  himself.  He  had  a  toler 
ably  good  idea  of  the  rebel  plans,  and  wondered 
whether  the  man  who  was  called  "  general "  was 


Fighting  Joe.  107 

really  Stonewall  Jackson.  He  could  not  reach  a 
satisfactory  conclusion  on  this  point,  but  he  was 
strongly  in  favor  of  the  supposition. 

"  It  is  one  o'clock,  and  we  must  get  a  little  sleep," 
said  the  mysterious  general,  as  Somers  heard  the 
rattling  of  chairs  when  they  rose  from  the  table. 

"  Some  of  us  will  probably  make  a  long  sleep  of 
it  to-morrow,"  added  one  of  the  officers. 

"  Don't  trifle  with  a  matter  so  serious,"  continued 
the  general,  solemnly.  "  Ah,  here  is  the  colonel," 
he  added,  as  the  door  opened,  and  two  or  three  per- 
sons  entered  the  house.  "  What  news  do  you  bring  ? 
Have  you  captured  those  Yankees  ?  " 

"  I  have  neither  captured  them  nor  heard  a  word 
of  them.  Not  a*soul  within  our  lines  knows  any 
thing  about  them,"  replied  the  colonel,  in  tones  of 
disgust  and  mortification. 

"  That's  singular.  Our  sentinels  are  sleepy ;  they 
must  be  stirred  up.  The  miscreants  had  not  been 
gone  from  this  house  more  than  twenty  minutes 
when  we  arrived,  according  to  the  statement  of  the 
lady." 

"  Nothing  was  ever  more  thoroughly  done  than 
the  search  we  made ;  but  I  am  positive  they  have 
got  through." 

"  Perhaps  not,"  suggested  the  general. 

"  I  have  searched  every  house,  grove,  and  clump 
of  trees ;  every  hole,  ditch,  and  cornfield  within  two 
miles  of  this  spot.  I  am  satisfied,  but  I  believe  there 
are  traitors  within  our  camp.  They  could  not  have 
got  through  without  help  from  our  side  of  the  line." 

"  We  will  look  into  that  matter  at  the  first  oppor 
tunity,"  replied  the  general,  with  a  long  gape. 

They  left  the  house  in  a  body,  and  all  was  silent 
within,  except  the  step  of  Maud  Hasbrouk,  as  she 


io8  Fighting  Joe. 

attended  to  the  wants  of  the  sufferers  in  her  care. 
Somers  had  done  all  he  could  do  in  this  place,  and 
he  was  satisfied  that  the  search  for  himself  and 
Captain  Barkwood  had  been  abandoned.  He  crawled 
out  of  the  corner  in  which  he  had  been  coiled  away 
for  over  two  hours,  intent  upon  the  great  duty  which 
was  still  in  a  measure  unperformed.  He  had  some 
doubts  whether  his  friend  in  the  closet  had  been 
patient  under  the  long  delay ;  and  he  was  in  haste 
to  relieve  him  from  the  suspense  and  discomfort  of 
his  situation. 

There  was  no  one  in  the  house  but  Maud  and  her 
three  patients.  There  was,  therefore,  nothing  to 
fear,  and  he  crept  towards  the  door  leading  from  the 
entry  into  the  kitchen.  He  softly  opened  it,  and  was 
stealthily  making  his  way  towards  the  shed,  when 
the  door  of  the  front  room  was  thrown  wide  open, 
and  Maud,  apparently  in  a  great  hurry,  stepped  into 
the  kitchen.  She  had  a  bowl  in  her  hand,  and  was 
intent  upon  the  object  which  had  brought  her  there, 
so  that  she  did  not  at  first  see  Somers,  who  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  floor. 

When  she  discovered  him  she  screamed,  and 
started  back  hi  astonishment  and  terror,  dropping 
the  dish ;  but  she  still  held  the  light  which  she  had 
brought  from  the  sick-room.  Somers  regarded  the 
meeting  as  a  very  unfortunate  occurrence,  and  wished 
he  had  been  prudent  enough  to  go  out  at  the  front 
door ;  but  it  was  too  late  to  indulge  in  vain  regrets, 
and  the  situation  was  sufficiently  perilous  to  induce 
him  to  resort  at  once  to  decisive  measures,  for  the 
tongue  of  the  woman  was  hardly  less  dangerous  than 
a  squad  of  rebel  cavalry. 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  asked  the  lady,  when  she  had 
recovered  herself  sufficiently  to  speak. 


Fighting  Joe.  109 

"  It  matters  not  who  I  am,"  replied  Somers,  dis 
guising  his  voice  as  much  as  he  could. 

"  Captain  Somers ! "  exclaimed  she,  shrinking 
back  still  farther. 

"  I  am  sorry,  for  your  sake,  that  you  have  recog 
nized  me,"  replied  he,  dropping  the  collar  of  his 
coat,  which  he  had  drawn  up  over  his  face.  "  Miss 
Hasbrouk,  your  discovery  endangers  my  life ;  I  am 
compelled  either  to  shoot  you,  or — " 

"  To  shoot  me !  "  exclaimed  she,  with  horror. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Maud  ?  "  said  a  voice  from 
the  front  room,  which  was  followed  by  the  appear 
ance  of  Major  Riggleston,  whose  head  was  tied  up 
with  bandages,  as  the  surgeon  had  dressed  it. 

"It  is  Captain  Somers,"  said  she,  in  trembling 
tones. 

"It  seems  that  I  did  not  fully  do  my  work," 
added  Somers,  taking  a  pistol  from  his  belt. 

"Don't  fire,  Somers,  don't,"  said  the  major,  in 
tones  so  feeble  and  piteous  that  Somers  could  not 
help  being  moved  by  them.  "You  have  nearly 
killed  me  now,  and  you  ought  to  be  satisfied." 

"  It  is  your  life  or  mine,  Major  Riggleston,  and  I 
have  no  time  to  argue  the  matter.  In  five  minutes 
more  you  will  have  the  whole  Confederate  army  at 
my  heels.  I  run  no  risks  with  a  villain  like  you," 
replied  Somers. 

"  Don't  fire  !  "  begged  Maud ;  "  I  will  do  anything 
you  desire,  if  you  will  spare  me." 

It  was  something  to  see  a  brawling  rebel  woman, 
the  most  pestilent  and  inveterate  enemy  the  govern 
ment  had  in  the  contest,  in  a  pleading  posture.  It 
was  something  to  expose  the  ridiculous  pretensions 
of  one  of  that  army  of  female  rebels,  fiercer  and 
more  vindictive  than  the  men,  and  to  demonstrate 


no  Fighting  Joe. 

that  she  had  none  of  the  courage  of  which  she  had 
boasted.  Maud  regretted  that  her  sex  compelled 
her  to  be  a  non-combatant ;  it  was  doubtful  whether 
she  would  ever  again  regret  it. 

« I  wish  not  to  take  the  lives  of  either  of  you  ;  but 
my  own  safety  compels  me  to  use  strong  measures, 
said  Somers,  as  he  cocked  his  pistol. 

«For  mercy's  sake,  don't  fire !  "  gasped  Maud. 

"Don't  kill  me,  Sorners;  I  will  pledge  you  my 
word  and  honor  not  to  expose  you,"  added  the 

m  «3What  are  your  word  and  honor  good  for,  after 
what  has  happened  this  night?"  sneered  Somers. 

«I  will  give  you  all  the  information  you  require, 
if  you  will  spare  my  life." 

"That  would  not  save  my  life. 
"  I  will  give  you  the  countersign." 
"That's  something  towards  it." 
The  wretch  gave  him  the  word,  and  while  he  re 
ceived  it,  he  despised  the  major  more  than  ever 
before.    He  was  now  a  traitor  to  both  sides;  t 
all  this,  and  move,  would  he  give  in  exchange  for  I 
life      Somers  then  questioned  him  m  regard  to  t 
position  of  various  bodies  of  rebel  troops,  and  the 
miscreant  answered  him  promptly,  and,  as  r 
afterwards  shown,  correctly. 

"You  know  me  now,  Major  Riggleston  and  Miss 
Hasbrouk;  and  you  must  understand  that  I  go  about 
with  my  life  in  my  hand.  I  am  not  to  be  trifled 
with.  I  will  not  take  your  life  yet. 

"  I  will  swear  never  to  reveal  your  presence 
living  soul,"  exclaimed  the  major. 

"You  need  not;  you  have  given  me  better  security 
than  your  oath  that  you  will  not  expose  me.  Ill 
am  taken,  I  shall  be  taken  with  the  countersign  in 


Fighting  Joe.  in 

my  keeping.  I  had  it  from  you.  If  you  have  given 
me  the  wrong  word,  I  shall  be  turned  back." 

"  I  have  given  you  the  right  word,"  interposed  the 
major. 

"  If  I  am  turned  back,  I  shall  come  here  first,  and 
complete  my  work,"  added  Somers,  sternly. 

"  You  shall  have  my  pass." 

"  I  have  it  already.  I  have  not  yet  exhausted  all 
my  resources,"  said  the  scout,  producing  the  two 
passes,  which  he  had  neglected  to  return  in  the 
ravine. 

He  opened  them  ;  but  though  the  wounded  major 
was  surprised,  he  was  too  weak  and  broken  in  spirits 
to  ask  any  questions,  or  even  to  care  where  his  late 
companion  had  procured  them. 

"  All  I  ask  of  you,  Major  Riggleston,  and  of  you, 
Miss  Hasbrouk,  is  to  keep  still,"  continued  Somers. 

"I  will,"  replied  Maud,  eagerly. 

"And  I  will,  Captain  Somers.  What  I  have  done 
here  to  save  my  life  has  ruined  me.  I  shall  never 
be  seen  in  the  service  again." 

"I  think  you  are  coming  to  your  senses,  major." 

"  May  I  ask  you  to  keep  quiet  in  regard  to  what 
I  have  done  ?  for  you  know  the  penalty  of  that  which 
I  could  not  have  done  if  I  had  not  stood  on  the  brink 
of  the  open  grave." 

"  That  will  depend  on  your  own  conduct.  Return 
to  your  bed ;  and  if  you  are  treacherous,  you  will 
suffer  for  it." 

"I  may  die,"  groaned  the  major,  who  had  sunk 
into  a  chair,  for  he  believed  his  wound  was  much 
worse  than  it  really  was. 

Perhaps  some  twinges  of  remorse  had  induced  him 
to  aid  Somers  in  his  mission  more  than  he  otherwise 
would,  he  was  not  a  man  of  nerve,  or  a  man  of  much 


H2  Fighting  Joe. 

nobility  of  purpose,  and  his  severe  wound  had  worked 
a  great  change  in  his  moral  and  mental  organization. 
The  fear  of  death  had  deprived  him  of  what  little 
manliness  he  possessed,  and  under  the  pressure  of 
that  terror,  he  had  sunk  lower  down  in  the  scale  of 
humanity  than  it  would  have  been  possible  for  him 
under  any  other  circumstances.  He  had  absolutely 
betrayed  the  cause  for  which  he  professed  so  earnest 
and  sincere  a  devotion.  His  boasted  honor  was  a 
delusion.  He  was  an  exception,  even  in  the  ranks 
of  southern  heroes. 

Somers  was  satisfied  with  what  was  promised, 
and  with  what  had  already  been  performed.  He 
restored  his  pistol  to  his  belt,  and  hastened  to  the 
back  room,  where  Captain  Bark  wood  was  no  doubt 
anxiously  waiting  to  hear  from  him. 

"  Come  out,  captain,"  said  he,  as  he  threw  open 
the  door. 

"Is  that  you,  Somers?"  replied  the  regular,  as  he 
stepped  from  his  narrow  quarters.  " I  had  given  you 
up  for  lost,  and  was  just  thinking  of  engaging  in  a 
little  enterprise  of  my  own.  Where  have  you  been  ?  " 

Soiners,  as  briefly  as  possible,  explained  the  events 
that  had  transpired  during  his  absence,  to  which  the 
regular  listened  with  wonder  and  admiration.  It 
was  now  two  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  there  was 
much  still  to  be  done  before  they  could  return  to 
the  camp.  Somers,  still  wearing  the  coat  and 
feathered  hat  of  Major  Riggleston,  left  the  back 
room,  followed  by  Barkwood,  and  for  three  hours 
wandered  about  the  camps  of  the  rebels.  They 
were  often  challenged;  but  Somers  gave  his  name  as 
Major  Riggleston,  and  produced  the  pass  when  called 
upon,  or  gave  the  countersign.  The  day  was  break 
ing  in  the  east  when  they  finished  the  examination. 


Fighting  Joe.  113 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

THE    BATTLE    OF    ANTIETAM. 

"  WE  have  been  detained  a  long  time,"  said  Som- 
ers,  when  they  reached  the  ravine  through  which  it 
was  necessary  to  pass  on  their  return ;  for  it  was 
not  likely  that  the  rebel  pickets  would  permit  even 
the  obiquitous  Major  Riggleston  to  go  over  to  the 
Yankees. 

"  Too  long,  too  long,"  replied  the  regular,  rather 
nervously  for  him.  "I  am  afraid  we  are  too  late  to 
be  of  much  service." 

"  The  general  grinds  up  his  information  rapidly. 
If  we  see  him  before  he  commences  the  action,  we 
shall  be  all  right." 

Slowly  and  carefully  they  worked  their  way 
through  the  ravine,  for  they  felt  that  they  were 
treasure-houses  of  information,  which  must  not  be 
needlessly  exposed  to  destruction ;  and  a  little  hurry 
ing  not  only  imperiled  their  own  lives,  but  endan 
gered  the  good  cause  to  which  both  of  the  scouts 
were  devoted.  With  all  the  haste  which  the  cir 
cumstances  would  permit,  it  was  broad  daylight 
when  they  emerged  from  the  ravine  within  the 
Union  lines. 

They  hurried  to  headquarters.  Though  no  drums 
beat  or  bugles  sounded,  the  note  of  preparation  had 
passed  silently  along  the  lines.  The  orders  of  the 
general  had  been  fully  and  carefully  executed,  and 
brigades  and  divisions  were  in  column,  ready  for 
the  advance.  "Fighting  Joe"  and  his  staff  were 


U4  Fighting  Joe. 

already  in  the  saddle ;  and  half  a  mile  off,  on  a 
little  eminence,  Somers  discovered  the  general  on 
his  white  steed.  Alick  had  groomed  his  horse  and 
saddled  him,  though  with  many  fears  that  his  master 
would  never  return  to  use  him  again. 

As  Somers  approached,  the  faithful  fellow  saw 
him,  and  led  up  the  horse.  He  was  overjoyed  to 
see  him  once  more,  and  made  a  beautiful  exhibition 
of  ivory  on  this  interesting  occasion.  The  young 
staff  officer,  nearly  exhausted  after  the  perils  and 
labors  of  the  night,  filled  his  haversack  with  "  hard 
tack,"  and  leaped  into  the  saddle.  There  was  not 
a  moment  to  be  lost,  and  he  dashed  away  towards 
the  spot  where  the  general  was  busily  employed  in 
making  his  preparation  for  the  attack. 

The  excitement  of  the  moment  enabled  him  to 
triumph  over  the  bodily  fatigue  which  had  weighed 
him  down,  and  he  urged  on  the  noble  animal  he 
rode  to  his  utmost  speed.  The  horse  seemed  to 
participate  in  the  interest  and  excitement  of  the 
occasion,  and  galloped  as  though  he  was  conscious 
of  the  importance  of  his  master's  mission.  As  he 
approached  the  spot  where  the  general  and  his  staff 
stood,  Somers  reined  in  his  steed,  and  nearly  threw 
him  back  upon  his  haunches,  when  he  raised  his 
sword  to  give  his  commander  the  usual  salute.  It 
was  a  proud,  a  triumphant  moment  for  him  ;  and 
the  gallant  steed  behaved  as  though  it  was  his  duty 
to  make  the  utmost  display  as  he  introduced  his 
rider  to  the  general. . 

"  Captain  Somers !  "  exclaimed  the  general.  "  I 
gave  you  up  this  morning  when  I  learned  that  you 
had  not  been  heard  from." 

**  I  have  the  honor  to  report  that  I  have  fully 
performed  the  duty  intrusted  to  me,"  replied  Som- 


Fighting  Joe.  115 

ers,  employing  rather  more  formality  than  usual  in 
his  address. 

The  scout  gave  his  information,  the  most  impor 
tant  parts  of  which  were  the  fact  that  Stonewall 
Jackson's  troops  were  concentrated  on  a  fortified 
line,  and  that  General  Lee  had  massed  his  entire 
force  behind  the  crest  of  the  hill,  in  readiness  for 
the  great  battle,  which  was  apparently  to  decide 
the  fate  of  the  nation. 

Then  commenced  that  greatest  and  most  moment 
ous  battle  of  the  series  of  engagements  in  Maryland, 
which  checked  the  invasion,  and  drove  the  rebels 
from  the  north  to  the  south  side  of  the  Potomac. 
It  was  a  fearful  strife,  a  most  determined  battle, 
fought  with  a  bravery,  on  both  sides,  bordering 
upon  desperation.  The  event  was  to  involve  a 
mighty  issue — no  less  than  the  fate  of  a  great 
nation;  for  the  moral  effect  of  a  victory  by  the 
rebels  on  the  soil  of  the  North  would  be  disastrous, 
if  not  fatal,  to  the  loyal  cause,  while  it  would  open 
to  the  half  starved  and  impoverished  Confederacy 
the  vast  storehouses  of  wealth  of  the  free  North. 

Those  who  fought  on  that  day,  from  the  skilful 
generals,  who  directed  the  operations,  to  the  hum 
blest  private,  who  cheerfully  and  zealously  obeyed 
the  orders  of  his  superiors  in  the  midst  of  the  ter 
rible  carnage  of  the  battle-field,  understood  and 
appreciated  the  issues  of  that  day.  The  sons  of 
the  republic  will  gratefully  remember  them  all,  and 
none  with  a  more  lively  sense  of  obligation  than 
"  Fighting  Joe,"  whose  skill  and  judgment,  no  less 
than  his  heroic  bravery,  brought  victory  out  of  the 
stubborn  fight  intrusted  to  him,  upon  which,  more 
than  upon  the  operations  .of  any  other  portion  of 
the  line,  the  fate  of  the  day  rested.  He  was  face  to 


n6  Fighting  Joe. 

face  with  Stonewall  Jackson,  the  most  vigorous  and 
determined  leader  of  the  Confederacy,  the  pet  of  the 
rebels,  and  the  hope  of  the  commanding  general  of 
the  invading  hordes.  He  was  pitted  against  this 
man,  who  was  the  executive  of  Lee's  brain,  without 
whom  Lee's  strategy  lost  its  power. 

The  battle  on  the  right  was  fought  and  won,  but 
not  till  mighty  sacrifices  had  been  made  of  precious 
life.  It  was  one  of  the  most  obstinate  conflicts  of 
the  war ;  and  for  hours  the  issue  swung  back  and 
forth,  and  it  was  doubtful  upon  which  side  it  would 
rest  The  first  corps  went  forward  and  were  driven 
back  in  places ;  divisions  were  reduced  to  brigades, 
and  brigades  to  regiments,  before  the  terrible  fire 
of  the  rebels ;  and  nothing  but  the  indomitable  will 
and  the  admirable  skill  of  the  general  saved  the  day. 
Every  weak  point  in  the  line  was  strengthened,  every 
advantage  was  used,  and  every  disadvantage  counter 
balanced,  till  a  splendid  triumph  was  achieved. 

Stonewall  Jackson  was  ably  and  prudently  sup 
ported  by  General  Lee ;  troops  from  other  portions 
of  the  line  were  sent  to  this  imperiled  position,  in 
a  vain  attempt  to  save  the  failing  fortunes  of  the 
day.  Fresh  troops  were  from  time  to  time  hurled 
against  the  hard-pressed  brigades  of  the  first  corps, 
which  were  forced  back,  but  only  to  be  again  streng 
thened  and  urged  on  by  the  masterly  genius  of 
"  Fighting  Joe,"  until  all  that  had  been  lost  was  re 
trieved.  Later  in  the  day,  when  the  attack  was 
made  by  the  left  and  center,  the  rebel  line  had  been 
weakened  by  the  large  drafts  required  to  meet  the 
waste  on  the  right,  and  of  course  the  resistance  was 
correspondingly  diminished.  With  less  stubborn 
and  skilful  fighting  than  that  done  on  the  right,  the 
assaults  of  Burnside  on  the  left,  and  of  French  and 


Fighting  Joe.  117 

Richardson  in  the  center,  could  hardly  have  been 
successful. 

The  noble  and  gallant  Burnside  won  immortal 
honors  on  tha'  terrific  day.  He  fought  against  every 
disadvantage,  which  he  bravely  and  skilfully  over 
came.  The  result  of  the  battle  was  less  decisive 
than  had  been  hoped  and  expected  from  the  splendid 
fighting  and  the  brilliant  partial  results  achieved. 
The  rebel  army  was  severely  handled ;  its  resources 
and  its  prestige  tremendously  reduced;  and  the 
object  of  the  campaign  was  actually  accomplished ; 
but  whether  the  results  of  the  several  successful 
operations  on  the  field  were  prudently  agglomerated, 
whether  the  greatest  practicable  use  was  made  of 
the  victory,  we  must  leave  the  historian  to  decide. 

While  Captain  Somers  was  making  his  report, 
Captain  Barkwood  arrived,  and  was  congratulated 
upon  his  safety  and  success.  As  an  engineer  he 
gave  his  opinion,  and  was  able  to  supply  information 
which  Somers  had  not  the  scientific  skill  to  deduce 
from  what  he  had  seen.  The  order  was  given  to 
advance.  The  eye  of  the  general  was  everywhere, 
even  while  his  mind  was  occupied  with  the  details 
furnished  by  the  scouts.  He  sent  members  of  his 
staff  in  every  direction.  He  held  the  vast  and  com 
plicated  mechanism  of  his  corps  at  his  fingers'  ends. 
He  knew  where  every  brigade  and  every  battery  of 
his  force  was  at  that  moment,  and  where  it  was  to 
be  an  hour  hence.  He  moved  them  all  about,  as  a 
skilful  weaver  tosses  the  many  shuttle*,  each  with 
a  different  colored  thread,  through  the  fabric  before 
him.  He  was  weaving  history  on  a  gigantic  scale. 

Somers  sat  upon  his  restless  horse,  eating  the 
"  hard  tack  "  he  had  brought,  but  ready  to  dash  away 
upon  any  mission  on  which  he  might  be  sent,  when 


n8  Fighting  Joe. 

an  aide  from  the  general  commanding  rode  up  and 
delivered  an  order  to  the  commander  of  the  corps. 
Somers  did  not  particularly  notice  him  at  first,  but 
as  the  staff  officer  turned,  his  teeth  suddenly  sus 
pended  their  useful  and  interesting  occupation,  leav 
ing  his  mouth  half  open,  where  it  remained  in  the 
condition  to  express  the  wonder  and  astonishment 
which  the  presence  of  the  officer  excited. 

"  Major  Riggleston  ! "  exclaimed  he,  almost  chok 
ing  himself  with  the  unmasticated  block  of  "  hard 
tack  "  in  his  mouth. 

"  Captain  Somers,  good  morning,"  replied  the 
major,  with  a  pleasant  and  friendly  smile. 

"  Is  it  possible  ?  "  stammered  Somers. 

"What  possible?"  demanded  Riggleston. 

"That  you  are  here,"  replied  the  bewildered 
Somers,  gazing  at  the  major  attentively,  and  survey 
ing  him  from  head  to  foot. 

It  was  the  same  new  and  bright  uniform  which 
the  major  had  worn  when  they  met  on  previous 
occasions  on  the  road ;  it  was  not  the  same  which 
he  had  worn  in  the  rebel  lines,  or  at  the  Hasbrouk 
mansion ;  but  the  face  was  the  same,  the  whiskers 
and  mustache  were  the  same  in  cut  and  color ;  and 
Somers,  in  spite  of  the  doubt  which  at  first  assailed 
him,  was  even  now  ready  to  make  oath  that  he  was 
the  same  man  he  had  shot  in  the  head  the  preced 
ing  evening. 

"  Why  shouldn't  I  be  here,  my  dear  fellow  ? " 
laughed  the  major.  "  We  are  going  to  have  hot 
work  about  here  to-day." 

"How  is  your  head,  major?"  demanded  Somers, 
who  could  think  of  nothing  at  this  moment  but  the 
amazing  fact  that  he  again  stood  in  the  presence  of 
Major  Riggleston. 


Fighting  Joe.  119 

**  Cool  and  clear,  I  hope,"  replied  the  major. 

«  How  is  your  wound  ?  " 

"What  wound?" 

"Didn't  you  receive  a  wound  in  the  head  last 
evening  ?  " 

"  Upon  my  word  I  did  not,  that  I  am  aware  of." 

"  Will  you  excuse  me,  Major  Riggleston,  if  I  ask 
you  to  remove  your  hat  for  a  moment  ?  "  said  Somers, 
as  he  moved  his  horse  up  to  the  side  of  the  major's. 

"  Certainly ;  with  pleasure,"  replied  the  staff 
officer,  as  he  took  off  his  hat. 

There  was  no  bandage,  nor  any  appearance  of  a 
wound.  Somers  was  more  bewildered  than  ever, 
and  was  disposed  to  do  what  heroes  in  the  romances 
do  when  anything  looks  astonishingly  mysterious — 
ascribe  the  delusion  to  a  dream.  But  he  was  tired 
enough  from  the  exertions  of  the  night  to  convince 
him  that  all  which  had  occurred  within  the  rebel 
lines  was  a  reality. 

"Will  you  allow  me  to  examine  your  head?" 
asked  he,  utterly  unable  to  see  through  the  dark 
problem. 

"I  will  do  even  that  with  pleasure,  Captain 
Somers;  though  I  think  you  are  a  little  beside 
yourself,"  laughed  the  major. 

Somers  reached  forward,  and  put  his  hand  on  the 
part  of  the  major's  head  where  the  pistol  ball  had 
struck  him;  but  there  was  not  the  slightest  abra 
sion  of  the  skin ;  in  a  word,  the  head  was  in  good 
order  and  condition,  and  it  was  absolutely  certain 
that  no  bullet  had  passed  through  his  skull. 

"I  am  satisfied,  Major  Riggleston,"  replied  Som 
ers,  though  he  was  still  in  a  bewildered  state  of 
mind.  "  I  owe  you  an  apology  for  the  rude  treat 
ment  to  which  I  subjected  you  on  a  former  occa- 


120  Fighting  Joe. 

sion.  You  are  not  the  man  I  took  you  to  be ;  and  I 
hope  you  will  pardon  my  rough  speech  and  un 
friendly  manners." 

"  Cheerfully,  Captain  Somers.  Here  is  my  hand," 
replied  the  major,  evidently  as  much  pleased  to  for 
give  as  the  scout  was  to  be  forgiven. 

"  I  am  satisfied  now." 

"  But  I  am  not,"  responded  the  major. 

"Last  night,  about  eleven  o'clock,  I  shot  you 
through  the  head,"  said  Somers,  facetiously. 

«  Me ! " 

"Yes,  you!" 

"  Well,  perhaps  you  did ;  but  I  did  not  feel  it." 

"  I  was  willing,  a  moment  ago,  to  give  my  affi 
davit  that  you  were  the  person.  I  was  mistaken 
this  time,  as  I  was  yesterday  when  I  accused  you 
of  being  a  traitor.  By  the  way,  Major  Riggleston," 
added  Somers,  as  he  took  from  his  pocket  the  two 
passes  he  had  received  from  the  mysterious  person 
age  in  the  ravine,  and  selecting  the  Union  one, 
handed  it  to  his  companion,  "is  this  document 
yours  ?  " 

"  It  is,"  replied  the  major,  glancing  at  the  pass. 
«  Where  did  you  get  this  ?" 

"  Is  this  yours  ?  "  continued  Somers,  handing  him 
the  other  pass. 

"  No ;  this  is  a  rebel  pass,"  answered  the  major. 
"  I  never  saw  it  before,  and  have  no  occasion  for  a 
paper  of  this  description.  Where  did  you  get  the 
other?" 

"  You  gave  it  to  me  last  night,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  I'm  sure  I  did  not." 

"Captain  Somers,"  called  the  general;  and  the 
interview  was  abruptly  terminated. 


Fighting  Joe.  121 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BATTLE  OX  THE  RIGHT. 

THE  Pennsylvania  Reserves,  commanded  by  tdfen- 
eral  Meade,  occupied  the  center  of  the  line  of  the 
first  corps.  They  were  a  noble  body  of  troops,  and 
had  done  some  of  the  most  splendid  fighting  of  the 
war  on  the  Peninsula,  and  in  the  bloody  but  inde 
cisive  battles  of  Pope's  campaign.  Captain  Somers, 
as  if  in  compliment  to  him  for  his  zeal  and  his 
energy,  was  sent  to  bear  the  order  for  this  division 
to  advance. 

The  Reserves  moved  forward  with  a  hearty, 
cheerful  zeal ;  and  presently  the  thunder  of  their 
artillery,  and  the  rattling  volleys  of  musketry,  pro 
claimed  the  commencement  of  the  conflict.  A  por 
tion  of  Stonewall  Jackson's  command  was  before 
them — men  who  always  fought  with  the  energy  of 
desperation.  They  were  a  worthy  foe,  and  worthily 
were  they  met;  but  the  rebels  had  the  advantage. 
Their  renowned  leader  had  chosen  their  position,  and 
the  brave  Pennsylvanians  suffered  terribly. 

"  Fighting  Joe,"  on  his  white  charger,  rode  up  to 
the  position  in  the  front  of  the  battle.  He  was 
calm  and  unmoved  in  the  shower  of  bullets,  and 
the  troops  were  gladdened  and  encouraged  by  his 
presence.  They  were  strong  without  him;  they 
were  stronger  with  him.  He  gave  off  his  orders 
with  the  utmost  coolness,  and  spoke  words  of  fire, 
which  burned  in  the  souls  of  the  men.  He  was 
there, — the  idol  of  the  army, — and  there  was  not  a 


122  Fighting  Joe. 

man  who  would  not  have  been  ashamed  to  skulk 
with  this  noble  example  before  him.  The  mighty 
will  of  the  general  was  communicated  to  the  nerves 
and  the  muscles  of  his  soldiers,  and  he  multiplied 
himself  thousands  of  times  in  the  persons  of  his 
devoted  followers. 

Still  they  moved  on,  Meade's  division,  supported 
by  that  of  Ricketts,  nearer  to  the  woods  where  the 
rebels  were  concentrated ;  and  still  they  poured  hi 
the  deadly  volleys,  until  the  resistance  before  them 
was  sensibly  diminished. 

"  Forward  !  "  was  the  word  that  rang  along  the 
line ;  and  the  Reserves,  supported  by  two  of  Rick- 
ett's  brigades,  rushed  on  with  cheers,  and  entered 
the  oak  grove.  The  rebels  were  falling  back  before 
them,  and  they  rushed  through  the  woods,  across 
the  open  field  on  the  other  side,  and  still  onward  to 
the  woods  beyond  the  field.  But  here  they  were 
thrown  upon  bodies  of  fresh  troops,  hurried  up  to 
meet  them.  From  the  dark  shadows  of  the  wood 
came  showers  of  bullets  from  a  sheet  of  flaming  fire. 
The  grove  was  packed  with  rebels ;  the  Reserves 
seemed  to  melt  away  like  frost  before  the  sunlight, 
in  that  galling  fire.  They  closed  up  their  shattered 
lines,  and  fell  doggedly  back,  pouring  in  volley  after 
volley  upon  the  dense  masses. 

The  fortunes  of  the  day  seemed  suddenly  to  have 
been  reversed ;  what  had  been  victory  a  moment 
before,  now  became  defeat.  Stonewall  Jackson's 
entire  line  was  advancing  with  those  fiendish  yells 
which  distinguish  the  rebel  onslaught.  It  was  a 
critical  moment  in  the  fortunes  of  the  day ;  but  the 
genius  of  the  man  who  held  the  reins  in  his  hands 
was  equal  to  the  occasion.  He  was  not  a  mile  in 
the  rear ;  he  was  in  the  front,  where  he  could  see  the 


Fighting  Joe.  123 

indications  of  threatening  disaster ;  where  he  could 
promptly  meet  and  counteract  the  elements  of 
defeat  which  had  begun  to  manifest  themselves. 

"  Captain  Somers,"  said  he,  in  his  calm  but 
earnest  tones. 

Somers  spurred  forward  his  horse,  and  saluting 
the  general,  stood  in  readiness  for  his  commands. 

"  Tell  General  Ricketts  to  send  me  his  best 
brigade  instantly." 

It  rained  shot  and  shell  on  the  hillside  as  Somers 
dashed  away  to  execute  the  order.  Presently  the 
"  best  brigade,"  consisting  of  the  twelfth  and  thir 
teenth  Massachusetts,  the  ninth  New  York,  and  the 
eleventh  Pennsylvania,  under  the  command  of 
General  Hartsuff,  double-quicked  down  the  hill, 
amid  the  falling  shot  and  bursting  shell,  which 
crashed  fearfully  through  the  trees,  and  tore  up  the 
earth  in  their  mad  flight.  They  were  veteran 
troops,  commanded  by  a  veteran  soldier  of  skill  and 
bravery.  They  passed  the  general  on  their  march, 
and  his  eye  lighted  up  with  satisfaction  as  he  saw 
the  spirit  which  they  manifested. 

"  I  think  they  will  hold  the  ground,"  said  he,  as 
General  Hartsuff,  passing  the  shattered  lines  of  the 
Reserves,  drew  up  his  brigade  on  the  summit  of  a 
hill  between  them  and  the  exultant  foe. 

They  fired  in  volleys  at  first,  and  then  at  will ; 
but  they  did  their  work  most  heroically.  None 
flinched;  none  fled.  The  rebels  pushed  forward 
their  flushed  troops ;  but  these  gallant  fellows 
stormed  them  with  bullets,  and,  assisted  by  the 
brigades  of  Gibbons  and  Patrick,  repelled  the 
assault.  Jackson's  line  suffered  severely,  and  a 
large  number  of  field  officers  were  killed  in  vain 
attempts  to  rally  them.  The  rebels  fell  back  again 


124  Fighting  Joe. 

to  the  woods  from  which  they  had  come,  and  again 
this  part  of  the  line  was  safe.  There  had  been  a 
terrible  loss  in  the  gallant  brigade  which  held  t,  ie 
brow  of  the  hill,  and  General  Hartsuff  was  severely 
wounded  early  in  the  action. 

The  general  of  the  corps  had  saved  his  line  in 
this  place — had  brought  a  success  out  of  a  reverse ; 
but  his  brain  was  still  active.  Batteries  rushed 
like  a  train  of  meteors  over  the  field,  obedient  to 
his  ready  thought.  Messages  of  varied  import 
came  to  him  from  division  commanders.  Ricketts 
was  hard  pressed — could  barely  hold  his  position ; 
and  a  portion  of  Mansfield's  corps  was  sent  to  his 
aid.  The  venerable  soldier  went  with  two  of  his 
brigades ;  but  he  was  mortally  wounded,  and  was 
borne  to  the  rear. 

"  Go  to  that  regiment  on  the  right,  Captain 
Somers,  and  tell  the  colonel  not  to  let  his  men  break 
on  any  account,"  said  the  general. 

Somers  dashed  away,  and  stood  before  broken 
fragments  of  a  regiment,  with  hardly  a  commissoned 
officer  left  in  the  line.  They  were  noble  and  brave 
fellows,  and  they  were  yielding  only  when  there 
seemed  to  be  no  one  left  to  lead  them.  They  were 
giving  way,  and  making  a  gap  in  the  line,  through 
which  the  desperate  rebels  could  burst,  and  over 
whelm  the  column. 

The  staff  officer  saw  at  a  glance  the  state  of  the 
case.  He  blamed  not  the  men  ;  it  was  the  fault  of 
the  cowardly  officer  upon  whom  the  command  had 
devolved.  He  was  weak  and  inefficient;  at  least  he 
was  not  man  enough  for  such  a  trying  emergency. 

"  The  general  desires  to  hold  this  line,  at  all 
hazards,"  said  Somers,  saluting  the  officer.  "  Where 
is  the  general  of  this  brigade  ?  " 


Fighting  Joe.  125 

«  He  has  got  his  hands  full  yonder,"  replied  the 
captain  in  command  of  the  regiment. 

"  You  must  hold  this  position  without  fail.5* 

«  Can't  hold  it." 

"  Yes,  you  can ! "  exclaimed  Somers,  fiercely. 

"  I  can't  hold  it  any  longer." 

"  Forward,  my  hrave  boys.  The  day  is  ours  if 
we  stand  up  to  it  a  little  while  longer !  "  shouted  he 
to  the  hard-pressed  troops,  whose  thin  ranks  were 
rapidly  becoming  thinner  under  the  fierce  fire  to 
which  they  were  subjected.  "  Follow  me ! "  he 
added,  La  clarion  tones,  as  he  swung  his  sword  in 
the  air. 

A  faint  cheer  burst  from  the  ranks  of  the  regi 
ment,  showing  that  they  had  not  wholly  lost  their 
spirit.  They  clutched  their  muskets  tighter,  and 
looked  sternly  towards  the  rebel  line. 

"  Don't  spoil  your  record  for  this  day,  my  gallant 
fellows,"  continued  Somers.  "  You  have  done 
gloriously ;  stick  to  it  to  the  end." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  said  a  gruff  fellow  in  the  ranks. 

"  Captain  Somers,  of  the  general's  staff.  He 
expects  you  to  hold  this  line.  He  sent  me  down  to 
you.  Shall  I  tell  him  you  are  a  pack  of  cowards  ? 
Or  shall  I  tell  him  you  have  done  your  duty,  and 
been  cut  to  pieces  in  the  place  where  he  put  you  ?  " 

"  You  bet !  "  added  the  gruff  fellow.  "  Come, 
boys ! " 

"  Follow  me  !  "  shouted  Somers,  as  he  urged  his 
foaming  steed  through  the  ranks,  and  waved  his 
sword  over  his  head. 

"  He's  the  chap !  Go  in,  boys,"  cried  one  of  the 
men,  as  the  ranks  closed  up,  and  they  followed  the 
intrepid  staff  officer  back  to  the  position  from  which 
they  had  retreated. 


126  Fighting  Joe. 

The  rebels  had  seen  the  break,  and  were  swift  to 
take  advantage  of  it.  They  rushed  forward,  whoop 
ing  like  savages;  but  the  fragmentary  regiment 
now  stood  like  a  wall  of  iron,  and  poured  a  volley 
into  the  advancing  horde,  before  which  they  quailed, 
and  then  retreated. 

"  Bravo !  my  noble  fellows.  *  Fighting  Joe '  is 
looking  at  you,  and  he  shall  know  all  about  it." 

"  Hurrah ! "  shouted  the  brave  men,  who  had 
gathered  new  life  and  hope  from  the  inspiring  words 
of  the  young  staff  officer. 

"You  will  stand  firm — won't  you?"  demanded 
Somers. 

"  Hurrah ! "  yelled  the  reorganized,  revivified  little 
force,  so  heartily  that  Somers  fell  back  from  the 
front  to  return  to  his  position  at  the  side  of  the 
general. 

"  Captain  Somers ! "  said  a  familiar  voice,  almost 
in  a  yell.  "  Somers,  by  all  that  is  grand  and 
beautiful ! " 

Somers  turned,  and  saw  a  man  approaching  him 
from  the  ranks  of  an  adjoining  regiment.  He  was 
dressed  hi  the  uniform  of  an  officer,  but  he  had  a 
musket  in  his  hand.  He  was  begrimed  with  smoke, 
and  his  cheek  was  blackened  by  close  contact  with 
the  piece  in  his  hand. 

"  Major  de  Banyan !  "  replied  Somers,  as  his  old 
friend  rushed  up  to  his  side,  and  seized  his  hand. 

"  What  are  you  doing  here  ?  " 

"  I  happened  up  here  on  business,  and  I  went  in 
as  a  volunteer  on  my  own  hook,"  replied  De  Banyan, 
still  shaking  the  hand  of  the  staff  officer,  though 
the  bullets  were  whistling,  and  the  shot  and  shell 
were  roaring  around  him. 

«  That's  like  you.    Have  you  no  position  ?  " 


Fighting  Joe.  127 

«*I  am  a  private,  just  now." 

"  By  order  of  the  general  commanding  the  first 
corps,  I  place  you  in  command  of  this  broken 
regiment,"  said  Somers,  not  doubting  that  he  could 
soon  procure  a  confirmation  of  his  deed. 

"  Good !  that  reminds  me — " 

"No,  it  don't;  no  what-you-call-ems,"  laughed 
Somers. 

"  You  are  right,  Somers.  I  have  hardly  told  a 
story  since  we  parted." 

At  this  moment  the  brigadier -general  rode  up, 
and  Somers  referred  the  matter  of  the  command  to 
him.  When  he  learned  what  had  happened,  he 
installed  Major  de  Banyan  in  the  temporary  charge 
of  the  regiment.  Somers  said  a  few  words  to  the 
boys,  to  reconcile  them  to  their  new  commander. 
He  told  them  who  and  what  De  Banyan  was ;  the 
major  stepped  in  front  of  them,  and  went  to  work 
with  his  usual  skill  and  bravery.  Somers  left  his 
friend,  with  a  promise  to  see  him  again  as  soon  as 
possible,  and  rode  back  to  the  general. 

There  was  a  certain  piece  of  woods  on  the  right 
which  the  general  regarded  as  the  key  to  the  position, 
and  which  he  had  determined  to  take  and  to  hold. 
He  was  in  the  act  of  riding  forward  for  the  purpose 
of  examining  this  point  in  person,  as  he  did  on  all 
important  occasions.  Somers  reported  to  him  just 
as  he  was  leaving  the  front  of  the  most  advanced 
line  of  troops.  He  continued  his  bold  reconnais 
sance  till  he  reached  the  top  of  the  hill,  where  he 
dismounted,  and  went  forward  on  foot.  He  coolly 
and  carefully  surveyed  the  ground,  returned  to  his 
horse,  and  remounted-. 

The  storm  of  musket  balls  from  the  point  of 
woods  was  kept  up  all  this  time  with  the  most 


128  Fighting  Joe. 

determined  vigor.  The  erect,  manly  form  of 
"  Fighting  Joe  "  had  been  conspicuous  on  the  field 
all  the  morning,  and  the  rebels  had  fired  at  him 
individually  hundreds  of  times ;  but  he  seemed  to 
have  a  charmed  life.  He  had  been  spared  to  com 
plete  the  work  he  had  begun,  and  which  he  had  so 
ably  and  successfully  carried  forward. 

As  he  mounted  his  horse  he  sent  Somers  off  on  a 
mission  to  the  batteries  of  artillery  planted  on  the 
ridge  behind  him.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  one  of  the 
hottest  fires  of  the  day.  Three  men  dropped  near 
the  general.  He  turned  and  started  for  another 
part  of  the  field ;  but  he  had  hardly  advanced  a  pace 
before  he  was  struck  in  the  foot  by  a  rifle  ball. 

"  You  are  wounded,  general,"  said  Somers,  return 
ing  to  the  spot. 

"  Carry  the  order  I  gave  you,  Captain  Somers," 
replied  he,  with  an  expression  of  pain  on  his  noble 
features. 

Somers  galloped  off  to  execute  his  mission. 

The  general  still  sat  his  horse,  and  gave  directions 
for  the  capture  and  holding  of  the  point  he  had  ex 
amined  at  the  peril  of  his  precious  life.  The  surgeon 
advised  him  to  leave  the  field,  but  he  refused  to  do 
so.  He  swayed  backward  and  forward,  reeling  from 
faintness  in  his  saddle.  Still  he  looked  about  him, 
to  carry  out  the  purpose  which  filled  his  mind. 

"  There's  a  regiment  on  the  right  of  us.  Order  it 
forward!  Crawford  and  Gordon  are  coming  up. 
Tell  them  to  take  those  woods,  and  hold  them; 
and  it  is  our  fight !  "  said  he,  feebly,  but  with  em 
phasis. 

He  fainted,  but  partially  recovered,  and  rode 
slowly  and  reluctantly  to  the  rear,  after  he  had  sent 
vord  to  General  Sumner  that  he  was  wounded. 


Fighting  Joe.  129 


CHAPTER.  XV. 

AFTER    THE    BATTLE. 

GENERAL  SUMMER  was  close  at  hand  with  his  corps. 
He  saw  the  wounded  commander,  spoke  to  him,  and 
passed  on  to  complete  the  work  which  had  been  so 
far  accomplished,  apparently,  that  it  only  remained 
to  hold  what  had  already  been  gained. 

"  Fighting  Joe  "  had  virtually  contended  with  the 
whole  rebel  army,  for  the  attack  on  the  left  and  in  the 
center  was  delayed  for  hours  after  the  victory  on 
the  right  had  been  won.  He  had  done  his  part  in  the 
day's  work  nobly  and  successfully ;  and  there  his 
responsibility  for  the  results  of  the  battle  terminated. 

Somers  went  to  the  rear  with  his  wounded  general, 
but,  when  assured  that  the  injury,  though  very 
severe,  was  not  dangerous,  and  that  he  could  be  of  no 
service  to  him,  returned  to  the  field,  resolved  to  act 
as  a  volunteer.  There  was  heavy  fighting  in  the 
woods,  where  Crawford  and  Gordon  were  executing 
the  last  order  of  the  commander  of  the  first  corps. 
The  rebels,  by  the  delay  in  the  Union  attack  on  the 
left  and  center,  were  enabled  to  send  forward  fresh 
troops ;  and  the  combat  deepened  until  the  woods 
blazed  with  fire. 

The  young  staff  officer  rushed  in,  and  hastily  re 
ported  to  General  Crawford  as  a  volunteer.  He  was 
cordially  thanked,  his  services  accepted,  and  he  was 
directed  to  use  his  own  judgment.  There  were 
plenty  of  exhausted  regiments  vainly  struggling  to 


130  Fighting  Joe. 

roll  back  the  tide  of  defeat  which  was  setting  fiercely 
against  them.  Hundreds  of  gallant  officers  lay  dead 
and  wounded  upon  the  ground,  and  there  was  abun 
dance  of  work  for  any  brave  leader  who  had  the  nerve 
to  do  it. 

Somers  attempted  to  rally  the  broken  ranks,  and 
close  up  the  wide  gaps  which  had  been  made  by  the 
fearful  carnage ;  but  Crawford  was  forced  back,  and 
what  had  been  gained  on  the  front  was  lost.  At  this 
crisis  General  Franklin  came  up  with  fresh  troops, 
and  the  ground  which  had  been  lost  was  regained, 
not  to  be  again  abandoned. 

The  excitement  was  over,  and  Somers  began  to 
think  that  he  had  a  body  as  well  as  a  spirit.  He  was 
thoroughly  exhausted  when  he  left  the  field  of  his 
last  labor,  and  rode  over  to  the  point  where  he  had 
left  Major  de  Banyan. 

"  What's  the  matter,  my  dear  boy  ?  "  demanded 
the  major,  as  he  rode  up  to  the  begrimed  soldier. 
"  Are  you  wounded  ?  " 

"  No,"  replied  Somers,  languidly ;  but  he  hardly 
knew  what  did  ail  him. 

"You  are  as  pale  as  death.  Are  you  sure  you  are 
not  wounded?  "  asked  the  major,  tenderly  and  anx 
iously. 

"I  don't  think  I  am." 

"  Dismount,  and  let  me  overhaul  you.  I'm  sure 
you  are  in  a  bad  condition,"  continued  the  veteran, 
as  he  took  the  hand  of  the  staff  officer. 

"  I  don't  feel  very  well,"  added  Somers. 

Things  began  to  look  very  shaky  before  him  ;  he 
felt  a  deadly  nausea ;  and  before  he  could  get  off  his 
horse,  he  sank  fainting  into  the  arms  of  his  friend. 
The  major  took  him  from  his  saddle  and  laid  him  on 
the  ground.  He  was  alarmed,  and  tore  open  his  coat 


Fighting  Joe.  131 

to  examine  the  vital  parts  of  his  body ;  but  there  was 
no  wound,  or  even  a  spot  of  blood  to  indicate  one. 
He  procured  a  canteen  of  water,  sprinkled  his  face, 
and  rubbed  his  temples  with  his  hands. 

Captain  Somers  had  only  fainted  from  exhaustion 
consequent  upon  the  severe  trials  of  the  preceding 
night,  and  the  excitement  and  fatigue  he  had  under 
gone  during  the  battle.  The  skilful  attentions  of  De 
Banyan  soon  restored  him  to  consciousness ;  but  he 
was  as  weak  and  feeble  as  an  infant.  He  had  eaten 
only  one  of  the  biscuits  he  had  taken  in  the  morning, 
and  had  performed  his  trying  duties  on  an  empty 
stomach.  His  health,  already  shattered,  was  not 
equal  to  the  fatigues  he  had  been  called  upon  to 
endure. 

"  There  is  nothing  further  for  you  or  me  to  do  here. 
We  have  won  the  field,  and  if  the  rest  of  the  line  does 
its  work  we  shall  have  the  day,"  said  De  Banyan. 
"  Now  we  will  go  and  have  you  taken  care  of." 

"  I  am  willing,  for  I  can't  stand  this  any  longer," 
replied  Somers,  feebly. 

The  major  helped  him  on  his  horse  again,  and 
walked  by  his  side,  as  they  slowly  made  their  way 
to  the  rear.  Every  house  in  the  vicinity  of  the  battle 
field  was  filled  with  wounded  soldiers,  and  there  was 
no  spot  where  De  Banyan  could  find  a  resting-place 
for  his  patient ;  but  he  obtained  some  refreshment 
for  him,  which  in  a  measure  restored  his  strength. 

"  I'm  afraid  you  are  going  to  be  sick,  Somers,"  said 
the  major,  anxiously,  as  he  gazed  upon  the  pale  face 
of  his  friend. 

"  I  feel  so  myself." 

"  I  am  bound  to  see  you  in  a  comfortable  place. 
Do  you  know  of  one  ?  " 

"  The  farther  we  go  from  this  vicinity,  the  more 


132  Fighting  Joe. 

likely  we  shall  be  to  find  one.  I  must  report  myself 
at  headquarters  first." 

"  Right ;  and  you  will  find  your  servant  there." 

They  went  to  the  place  where  the  headquarters 
had  been  located,  but  the  wounded  general  had  been 
conveyed  to  Center ville  Somers,  however,  reported 
himself  to  the  chief  of  staff,  and  found  Alick. 

"  Major  de  Banyan,  as  sure  as  you  was  born  1  "  ex 
claimed  the  servant. 

"  I'm  glad  to  see  you,  Alick,"  returned  the  major. 
"  Your  master  is  sick,  and  we  must  look  out  for 
him." 

"  Yes,  sar,"  replied  the  faithful  fellow,  who  pro 
ceeded  at  once  to  saddle  the  extra  horse. 

As  yet  nothing  had  been  or  could  be  learned  of 
the  result  of  the  battle ;  and  the  little  party  moved 
off  in  search  of  accommodations  for  the  sick  officer. 
De  Banyan  declared  that  he  must  get  away  from 
the  terrible  scenes  of  death  and  mutilation  in  the 
neighborhood  of  the  battle-field.  He  was  physician 
enough  to  understand  that  the  nerves  of  his  patient 
were  much  shattered,  and  that  he  needed  absolute 
quiet. 

"  I  know  a  house  which  I  think  must  be  deserted," 
said  Somers  ;  "  but  it  is  eight  or  ten  miles  off." 

**  So  much  the  better,  if  you  can  manage  to  get 
there,"  replied  De  Banyan,  who  was  mounted  on 
Somers's  spare  horse,  while  Alick  walked  in  the  rear. 

"  I  should  not  be  very  welcome  there." 

**  No  matter  for  that.  I  will  take  possession  of 
the  place  in  the  name  of  the  United  States  of 
America.  After  the  battle  of  Magenta — there  was  a 
quiet  time,  I  suppose,"  laughed  the  major.  "  Where 
is  the  place  you  speak  of  ?  " 

"It  is  the  Hasbrouk  mansion."    And  as  they 


Fighting  Joe.  133 

rode  slowly  along,  Somers  told  his  companion  of  the 
exciting  events  which  had  occurred  there,  and  of 
those  which  had  followed  it  since  his  arrival  in 
Maryland. 

In  return  De  Banyan  related  the  incidents  which 
had  happened  in  the  — th  Massachusetts,  of  which 
Somers  was  still  an  officer ;  of  its  march  from  the 
Peninsula,  and  its  terrible  baptism  of  blood  at 
Groveton,  where  Captain  Benson  had  fallen  mortally 
wounded ;  and  other  red  fields  in  which  the  regi 
ment  had  been  reduced  to  a  mere  skeleton.  There 
were  a  thousand  things  for  each  to  tell,  and  Somers 
almost  forgot  his  weakness  hi  the  interest  he  felt  in 
the  history  of  his  company  and  his  regiment. 

"  But,  Somers,  how  is  that  pretty  young  lady  who 
used  to  knit  stockings?"  asked  the  major. 

"  She  is  well ;  I  saw  her  the  day  I  left  Boston.  I 
have  that  same  pair  of  socks  on  my  feet  now.  I  put 
them  on  yesterday,  when  we  went  forward." 

"  Well,  but  how  do  you  get  on?" 

"Get  on?" 

"  Bah  !    You  know  what  I  mean." 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't,"  replied  Somers,  faintly,  though 
a  soft  blush  colored  his  pale  cheek. 

"  You  are  courting,  of  course." 

"  That's  nonsense." 

"I  know  it's  nonsense;  but  young  fellows  like 
you  are  given  to  such  folly." 

'I'm  not." 

'Pooh!" 

'  She's  my  friend,  and  I  am  hers." 

'  Of  course  you  are." 

'  Her  father  is  a  rich  merchant,  and  I  am  nothing 
but  a  poor  boy.  I  have  no  idea  of  any  such  thing 
as  you  speak  of." 


134  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Haven't  you,  indeed  ?  Let  me  tell  you,  Somers, 
if  she  was  the  daughter  of  the  President  of  the 
United  States,  she  isn't  any  too  good  for  you ;  and 
if  she's  offish  on  that  score,  I  should  like  the  priv 
ilege  of  telling  her  so,"  added  the  major,  with  no 
little  spirit. 

"  That's  nonsense,  major." 

"If  Miss —     What's  her  name,  Somers?'* 

«  Lilian  Ashford." 

"That's  an  amazing  pretty  name,  Somers.  If 
she's  too  good  to  marry  a  brigadier-general,  and 
such  a  brigadier-genera1  as — " 

"  I'm  not  a  brigadier  " 

"  But  you  will  be  before  the  war  is  over." 

"  I  shall  not ;  you  are  absurd,  major." 

"  Perhaps  I  am." 

"  I  don't  feel  now  as  though  I  should  be  anything 
much  longer." 

"  Don't  give  it  up,  my  boy ;  you  will  be  as  good 
as  new  in  a  week  or  two." 

"  I  promised  to  write  to  Lilian." 

«  Good !    Do  it,  then." 

"  I  have  no  hopes  in  that  quarter.  We  are  only 
friends.  I  like  her  very  well,  but  we  don't  talk  of 
anything  but  those  socks." 

"  I  say,  Somers,  when  you  are  a  brigadier,  and 
have  made  your  fortune,  you  will  want  a  coat  of 
arms.  Let  me  suggest  one." 

"  A  coat  of  arms !  "  laughed  Somers. 

"  Certainly ;  you  will  want  one.  All  great  men 
have  one." 

"  And  you  would  put  a  pair  of  socks  on  it  ?  " 

"  Certainly  ;  that's  the  idea.  But  where  are  we 
going,  Somers  ?  " 


Fighting  Joe.  135 

"  To  the  Hasbrouk  mansion ;  and  we  are  nearly 
there,"  replied  the  sick  man. 

Somers  had  chosen  this  place  on  account  of  its 
retired  situation,  and  because  he  could  think  of  no 
other  suitable  house  to  be  sick  in.  In  spite  of  his 
cheerful  nature,  he  had  some  dismal  forebodings  in 
regard  to  the  future.  Nothing  but  the  inspiration 
of  his  lively  companion's  presence  kept  him  from 
sinking  under  the  pain  and  weakness  which  assailed 
him.  On  the  road,  by  the  prudent  counsels  of  his 
friend,  he  had  stopped  several  times  to  rest  and 
refresh  himself.  He  had  never  felt  so  weak  and 
shattered  before,  and  he  feared  it  would  be  many  a 
long  day  before  he  was  able  again  to  take  his  place 
on  the  staff  of  the  general,  or  in  the  line  of  his  regi 
ment. 

In  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  while  the  guns 
were  still  thundering  at  Antietam,  the  little  party 
reached  the  Hasbrouk  mansion.  Major  de  Banyan 
took  upon  himself  the  whole  charge  of  gaining  ad 
mission  ;  and,  with  his  usual  bold  front,  he  entered 
without  knocking.  The  family,  which  had  left  the 
house  while  hostilities  were  in  progress  around  it, 
had  now  returned.  Alick  took  the  horses,  and 
Somers  followed  the  major  into  the  mansion.  To 
the  surprise  of  both  they  were  immediately  con 
fronted  by  Maud,  who  had  moved  her  patients  to 
her  own  home,  when  the  battle  commenced,  early  in 
the  morning. 

De  Banyan  politely  stated  his  business,  at  the 
same  time  acting  as  though  his  stay  was  a  settled 
thing,  whether  the  family  were  willing  or  not. 

"We  cannot  accommodate  you,  sir,"  replied 
Maud,  as  haughtily  as  though  she  had  been  the 
queen  of  "  my  Maryland." 


136  Fighting  Joe. 

«  Sorry  for  it,  miss ;  but  I  shall  be  obliged  to  take 
possession." 

"We  have  three  wounded  officers  here  now," 
added  she. 

"  They  are  rebels." 

"  They  are  Confederate  officers,  sir,  or  they  would 
not  be  here." 

"  There  will  be  one  here  who  is  not  a  Confederate 
officer.  My  friend,  Captain  Somers,  must  be  ac 
commodated  ;  and  I  shall  be  obliged  to  turn  out  the 
rebel  officers,  unless  you  can  find  room  for  him 
without  my  doing  so." 

"  I  will  not  submit  to  this  insolence !  "  exclaimed 
she,  rushing  out  of  the  room. 

"  Good !  Now  wait  till  I  find  a  room  for  you, 
Somers." 

"  I  would  not  have  come  here  if  I  had  not  sup 
posed  the  house  was  deserted.  I  feel  faint  again, 
major." 

"  Don't  faint  just  yet." 

De  Banyan  made  himself  entirely  at  home; 
brought  water,  cologne,  a  smelling-bottle,  and  finally 
set  up  his  friend  for  another  brief  period.  He  then 
went  up-stairs,  selected  a  front  room,  which,  from 
its  contents,  was  evidently  the  apartment  of  Maud 
herself.  He  set  Alick  at  work  in  the  chamber 
making  a  fire,  and  otherwise  preparing  it  for  the 
reception  of  the  sick  officer. 

The  major  then  conducted  his  patient  to  the  com 
fortable  quarters  he  had  secured,  and  put  him  to 
bed.  All  the  house  could  furnish  he  obtained,  with 
or  without  leave,  and  did  all  he  could  to  improve 
the  condition  of  his  sick  friend.  At  night  Somers 
was  in  a  raging  fever,  and  the  major  was  greatly 
alarmed  at  his  condition. 


Fighting  Joe.  137 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE    MYSTERY    EXPLAINED. 

CAPTAIN  SOMEBS  knew  very  little  of  what  took 
place  at  the  Hasbrouk  mansion  within  the  next 
three  weeks,  being  delirious  during  the  greater  por 
tion  of  this  time.  Major  De  Banyan  conquered  a 
peace  with  the  family  within  twenty-four  hours, 
and  obtained  all  that  he  required  in  the  service  of 
the  sick  man  without  fighting  for  it.  An  old  but 
skilful  physician  was  procured,  who  pronounced  the 
disease  a  severe  case  of  typhoid  fever,  which  pre 
sented  many  alarming  symptoms. 

The  major  was  a  tender  and  a  skilful  nurse  ;  but 
he  felt  that  another  presence  than  his  own  was 
necessary  in  the  sick-room.  The  sufferer  needed  the 
soothing  care  of  woman,  and  De  Banyan  sent  a  letter 
to  Pinchbrook,  containing  a  full  statement  of  the 
alarming  condition  of  the  captain ;  and  at  the 
end  of  a  week  his  mother  came,  attended  by  his 
father. 

The  Hasbrouk  family,  though  cold  and  unsym- 
pathizing  toward  their  unwelcome  guests,  afforded 
Mrs.  Somers  every  convenience  for  the  discharge  of 
her  motherly  duty.  De  Banyan,  when  compelled 
by  the  expiration  of  his  furlough  to  return  to  his 
regiment,  distinctly  informed  Maud  and  her  father, 
if  any  disrespect  was  shown  to  Mrs.  Somers  or  her 
husband,  or  any  hindrance  thrown  in  their  way, 


138  Fighting  Joe. 

he  would  cause  them  all  to  be  turned  out  of  the 
house,  and  do  his  best  to  have  the  property  imme 
diately  confiscated.  The  threat  had  the  desired 
effect,  and  though  Mrs.  Sorners  could  not  help  feel 
ing  that  she  was  an  intruder  on  the  premises,  her 
discomfort  was  not  increased  by  any  misconduct  on 
the  part  of  the  host  or  his  family. 

For  days  Somers's  life  seemed  to  hang  .only  by  a 
thread.  His  devoted  mother  trembled  over  him 
during  the  long  and  weary  nights.  She  and  her 
husband,  assisted  by  the  faithful  Alick,  took  the 
whole  care  of  the  sufferer,  rarely  seeing  any  member 
of  the  family.  A  separate  table  was  set  for  them, 
and  their  presence  was  avoided  as  though  they  car 
ried  the  pestilence  in  their  garments.  They  were 
the  "  mud-sills  "  of  the  North,  and  there  could  be 
no  communication  between  them. 

At  the  end  of  three  weeks,  the  danger  had  passed 
away,  and  the  patient  began  to  improve.  In  a  short 
time,  under  the  skilful  care  of  the  old  doctor,  he 
was  able  to  go  down-stairs  ;  and  his  father  at  once 
made  arrangements  for  removing  him  to  his  home 
in  Pinchbrook,  anxious  to  escape  as  soon  as  possible 
from  the  cold  hospitality  of  the  Hasbrouks.  On 
the  day  before  the  intended  departure,  a  servant 
announced  that  Major  Riggleston  wished  to  see 
him,  and  would  meet  him  in  the  parlor.  Attended 
by  his  mother,  he  went  down-stairs. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Captain  Somers,  but  sorry 
to  find  you  so  ill,"  said  the  major,  when  Mrs.  Somers 
had  been  duly  introduced. 

"  Thank  you,  major  ;  I  have  had  rather  a  rough 
time  of  it/' 

"  You  were  fortunate  in  having  the  attention  of 
your  good  mother." 


Fighting  Joe.  139 

"I  should  have  died  without  her,"  added  the 
captain,  glancing  affectionately  at  his  mother. 

"  Well,  Ave  don't  know  about  those  things, 
Thomas,"  said  Mrs.  Somers,  meekly. 

"  I  learned  that  you  were  here  three  weeks  ago, 
and  I  intended  to  call  upon  you  before  this  time," 
continued  the  major.  "  You  know  there  was  a  little 
affair  between  us  that  needed  clearing  up." 

"  It  would  done  no  good  to  come  much  afore  now ; 
the  poor  boy  wan't  fit  to  be  seen.  He's  had  an 
awful  hard  time  on't,  and  nothing  but  almighty 
Power  has  kept  him  from  the  grave,"  interposed 
Mrs.  Somers,  wiping  away  the  tear  that  started  in 
her  eye  when  she  thought  of  the  days  in  which  her 
son  was  trembling  between  life  and  death.  "  If  I 
can  only  once  get  him  home,  he  shan't  leave  me 
again.  He  went  off  afore  when  he  was  no  more  fit 
to  go  than  a  baby." 

"  The  captain  is  a  very  useful  person  in  the  army." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  he  is ;  but  there's  no  sense  nor 
reason  in  his  going  off  when  he  ain't  fit  to  go.  We 
shall  get  away  from  here  to-morrow." 

"  My  mother  don't  like  this  place  very  well,"  said 
Somers,  with  a  smile.  "  The  people  here  are  not 
remarkably  fond  of  me." 

"  Why  not  ?  " 

"  I  forgot  that  you  did  not  know  anything  about 
it.  I  will  tell  you  now,  Major  Riggleston,  and  I'm 
sure  you  will  not  blame  me  for  the  rude  words  I 
spoke  to  you,  when  you  understand  the  matter." 

"  You  did  the  fair  thing  when  you  discovered 
your  mistake  ;  but  you  spoke  to  your  general  about 
the  affair,  and  he  does  not  regard  me  with  favor.  I 
came  over  here  partly  for  the  purpose  of  affording 
you  an  opportunity  to  clear  me  from  the  imputation 


140  Fighting  Joe. 

that  rests  upon  my  honor.  An  explanation  from 
you  will  set  the  matter  right." 

"  I  can't  explain  it  myself,"  added  Somers.  "  I 
only  know  that  you  are  not  the  man  who  entrapped 
me,  and  whom  I  shot  in  the  head." 

Somers  then  related  the  history  of  t'  9  affair  in 
the  house  where  they  were  then  assemble  ,  and  that 
which  occurred  in  the  rebel  lines.  Major .' .'  iggleston 
listened  to  the  narrative  with  deep  interest,  as  did 
Mrs.  Somers,  whose  husband  had  gone  T,  th  Alick 
to  examine  the  battle-fields  of  An  tie  tarn  a.jd  South 
Mountain. 

"  Sakes  alive  !  who  ever  heard  of  such  tilings  !  " 
exclaimed  Mrs.  Somers,  when  her  son  had  finished 
his  exciting  story.  "  It's  a  wonder  that  you  wan't 
killed,  Thomas." 

"  I  understand  it  all  now,  Captain  Somers,"  said 
the  major,  rather  disconcerted.  "Though  I  am  not 
at  all  to  blame  in  the  premises,  the  affair  more 
nearly  concerns  me  than  you  may  suppose." 

"  I  exonerate  you  entirely,  Major  Riggleston," 
continued  Somers. 

"  There,  Thomas,  you  mustn't  talk  any  more  now," 
interposed  the  matron. 

"  I  won't  say  anything  more,  but  I  must  settle 
this  affair,  mother." 

At  this  moment  the  door  opened,  and  Maud  Has- 
brouk  was  on  the  point  of  entering ;  but  when  she 
saw  that  the  parlor  was  already  occupied,  she  turned 
to  retire. 

"  These  people  in  here ! "  said  she,  contemptu 
ously,  but  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all  in  the 
room. 

"  No  matter,  Maud ;  go  in  if  Fred  is  there,"  said 
another  person,  behind  her. 


Fighting  Joe.  141 

"He  is  there  ;  he  is  a  friend  of  Captain  Somers," 
sneered  she,  as  she  walked  into  the  apartment  as 
though  she  had  been  a  superior  being. 

"  How  is  your  health,  Captain  Somers  ? "  asked 
the  person  who  followed  Maud. 

He  was  an  officer,  and  his  head  was  tied  up  with 
a  bandage. 

"  Major  Riggleston ! "  exclaimed  Somers,  starting 
from  his  chair. 

"  Goodness ! "  ejaculated  Mrs.  Somers,  fearful 
that  the  excitement  her  son  exhibited  would  throw 
him  into  another  fever.  "  What  ails  the  boy  ?  " 

"  You  are  certainly  the  person  at  whom  I  fired," 
added  Somers,  as  he  gazed  at  the  form  and  features 
of  the  new-comer. 

"No  doubt  of  that,  Captain  Somers,"  replied 
the  major.  "  And  a  very  nice  time  I've  had  of  it 
too." 

"I  hope  some  one  will  serve  you  in  the  same 
way,"  said  Maud,  spitefully. 

"  For  massy  sake !  "  exclaimed  Mrs.  Somers,  fear 
ful  in  the  gathering  events  that  some  one  would 
serve  her  darling  boy  in  the  same  way.  "  What  has 
Thomas  done  ?  " 

"  He  is  a—" 

"Not  another  word,  Maud,"  said  the  wounded 
major,  sternly.  "  He  did  his  duty,  and  I  am  not  the 
one  to  blame  him  for  it." 

"  I  hope  you  will  do  yours,  major,  if  the  circum 
stances  ever  place  you  in  the  same  situation." 

"  I  should ;  and  Captain  Somers  would  not  blame 
me  for  it." 

"Certainly  not,"  replied  Somers. 

"  He  saved  your  life  and  mine,  Maud ;  and  we  will 
not  quarrel  now." 


142  Fighting  Joe. 

The  proud  beauty  was  silent  and  sullen,  while 
Somers  gazed  in  wonder  from  one  Major  Riggleston 
to  the  other  Major  Riggleston. 

"  You  understand  it  now,  Captain  Somers  ?  "  said 
the  loyal  major. 

"  I  do ;  it  is  all  very  plain  now.  You  must  ac 
knowledge  that  I  made  a  very  natural  mistake." 

"  It  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  been  taken  for  my 
brother.  He  is  two  years  older  than  I  am ;  but  we 
look  very  much  alike." 

When  they  were  together,  several  points  of  differ 
ence  could  be  observed ;  and  the  resemblance  was 
not  now  so  great  as  it  had  been  before  the  battle  of 
Antietam,  for  the  rebel  major  had  grown  thinner 
and  paler  under  the  suffering  induced  by  his  wound. 
At  the  time  Somers  had  met  them,  the  similarity  in 
form  and  features,  in  voice  and  manner,  was  so 
great,  that  a  person  of  ordinary  perception,  meeting 
them  at  different  times,  could  not  have  told  one 
from  the  other.  The  rebel  major  had  changed  so 
much  during  his  illness  that  the  difference  was  now 
more  perceptible. 

"It  never  occurred  to  me  that  you  had  seen  my 
brother,"  said  Major  Fred,  who  was  the  loyal  bro 
ther.  "If  it  had,  I  should  have  understood  the 
whole  matter." 

"  I  understood  it  perfectly,"  added  Major  Ernest, 
who  was  the  rebel  brother.  "  I  confess,  too,  that  I 
took  advantage  of  the  circumstance." 

"  But  where  did  you  get  my  safe-conduct  ?  "  asked 
Fred. 

"  I  picked  it  up  the  night  we  were  at  home," 
replied  Ernest,  rather  sheepishly. 

"  That  was  hardly  fair." 

"  All  fair  in  war,  Fred." 


Fighting  Joe.  143 

"Well,  then,  it  is  one  of  the  disadvantages  of 
having  a  brother  on  the  wrong  side,  Ernest." 

"  That  name,  Ernest,  reminds  me  that  I  heard  it 
at  your  father's  house,  in  Frederick,"  added  Somers. 

"Captain  Somers,"  said  the  loyal  major,  very 
seriously,  "  you  may  think  I  am  not  as  patriotic  as 
I  ought  to  be.  You  know  that  my  brother  was  at 
my  father's  house,  and  that  I  saw  him  there.  You 
may  think  I  ought  to  have  handed  him  over  as  a 
prisoner  of  war." 

"Thomas  don't  think  any  such  thing,"  said  Mrs. 
Somers. 

"  I  have  nothing  to  say  about  that ;  it  is  a  family 
affair,"  added  Captain  Somers.  "I  need  only  say 
that  I  regard  you,  Major  Fred  Riggleston,  as  a  loyal 
man  ;  and  I  shall  write  the  general  a  letter  contain 
ing  a  full  explanation  of  my  blunder." 

"  Thank  you,  captain,"  replied  Fred.  "  That  will 
set  me  right." 

"By  the  way,  Captain  Somers,"  said  the  rebel 
major,  "  there  is  a  matter  between  us  also." 

"  What  I  agreed  in  honor  and  confidence  to  do,  I 
have  done,  and  shall  continue  to  do,"  replied  Somers, 
alluding  to  the  matter  of  the  rebel  countersign,  im 
parted  to  him  by  the  wounded  major. 

"  There,  Thomas,  you  mustn't  say  another  word," 
interposed  Mrs.  Somers,  once  more. 

Maud  left  the  room,  disgusted  with  the  proceed 
ings,  and  dissatisfied  with  the  conduct  of  her  lover, 
who  persistently  refused  to  revile  the  Yankees  pres 
ent.  When  she  had  gone,  Major  Ernest  walked  up 
to  Somers,  and  in  a  low  tone,  remarked  that  he 
should  never  again  serve  in  the  rebel  army.  The 
captain  commended  his  resolution,  and  hoped  he 
would  be  able  to  do  more  and  better  than  this,  and 


144  Fighting  Joe. 

be  found  in  the  ranks  of  his  country's  defenders  in 
the  hour  of  peril.  He  shook  his  head  and  made  no 
reply. 

Somers  was  conducted  to  his  chamber  by  his 
mother,  who  insisted  that  he  should  lie  down  ;  for 
she  greatly  feared  the  effects  of  the  excitement  to 
which  he  had  been  subjected.  Late  in  the  evening, 
Captain  Somers,  senior,  returned  from  the  battle 
fields,  and  his  wife  regaled  him  for  an  hour  with 
the  adventures  of  their  son,  concerning  which,  Cap 
tain  Somers,  junior,  had  up  to  this  day  preserved  a 
discreet  silence. 

On  the  following  day,  Somers,  with  his  parents, 
started  for  home.  The  feeble  condition  of  the  in 
valid  compelled  them  to  travel  very  slowly,  and 
remain  two  or  three  days  at  each  of  the  principal 
cities  through  which  they  passed  on  the  journey. 
Consequently  it  was  nearly  a  fortnight  before  they 
reached  Pinchbrook,  where  the  hero  was  duly  wel 
comed  ;  and  where,  in  a  few  days  after  his  arrival, 
he  had  the  happiness  to  receive  a  visit  from  Lilian 
Ashford. 

She  was  as  gentle  and  beautiful  as  ever,  and 
smiled  so  sweetly  upon  him,  and  pitied  him  so  ten 
derly,  that  he  almost  found  it  in  his  heart  to  rejoice 
at  the  suffering  which  had  procured  him  such  a 
blissful  meeting.  Lilian  told  him  how  disappointed 
her  grandmother  was  at  not  seeing  him,  as  he  had 
promised,  and  that  she  still  lived  in  the  hope  of 
meeting  him.  Of  course  Somers  proposed  to  keep 
the  broken  engagement  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to 
visit  the  city. 

Lilian  was  accompanied  by  her  father,  who  mani 
fested  a  hearty  interest  in  the  young  aide-de-camp, 
and  joined  warmly  with  his  daughter  in  the  invita- 


Fighting  Joe.  145 

tion  to  visit  his  house.  This  was  hopeful,  and 
afforded  Somers  many  pleasant  reflections,  the  nature 
of  which  we  need  hardly  explain  to  our  cunning 
readers.  The  visitors  departed,  and  the  invalid's 
suffering  body  contained  a  hopeful  spirit. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

DOWN  IN  TENNESSEE. 

IT  was  four  months  before  Captain  Somers  was 
able  to  visit  Boston,  so  severely  had  his  constitution 
been  shattered  by  the  fatigues  of  the  service,  and 
by  the  strain  of  exciting  events  upon  his  nervous 
system.  Lilian  Ashford  and  her  father  visited 
Pinchbrook  several  times  during  this  period,  and  an 
excellent  understanding  was  established  between 
the  captain  and  the  young  lady.  The  visit  was 
returned  in  the  spring,  when  Somers  was  able  to 
endure  the  fatigue ;  and  as  his  health  gradually  im 
proved,  he  repeated  his  calls  till  they  occurred  as 
often  as  once  a  week. 

Grandmother  Ashford  had  abundant  opportunity 
now  to  tell  all  about  the  "  last  war,"  and  Somers 
listened  with  the  attention  which  so  interesting  a 
narrative  deserved.  Perhaps  it  was  fortunate  for 
the  venerable  lady  that  her  eyesight  was  impaired, 
or  she  might  have  been  wounded  to  observe  that  her 
patient  auditor  looked  more  at  Lilian  than  at  her 
self.  On  one  of  these  occasions  the  old  lady  was  so 
imprudent  as  to  leave  the  young  couple  in  the  parlor, 


146  Fighting  Joe. 

and  something  passed  between  them  which  seemed 
to  make  Somers  very  much  pleased  with  himself 
and  with  Lilian,  and  to  make  Lilian  equally  well 
pleased  with  herself  and  with  Somers.  What  this 
was,  the  experienced  reader  may  possibly  be  able  to 
divine ;  but  as  our  story  relates  mainly  to  the  mili 
tary  history  of  our  hero,  it  cannot  properly  be  intro 
duced. 

Captain  Somers  was  certainly  improving  in  health, 
but  so  slowly  that  there  was  no  present  prospect  of 
his  being  able  to  join  his  regiment,  or  report  on  the 
staff  of  his  beloved  general,  now  commanding  the 
grand  army  of  the  Potomac.  His  physician  posi 
tively  refused  to  permit  him  even  to  visit  the  scene 
of  active  operations ;  and  after  communicating  with 
"  Fighting  Joe  "  by  letter,  he  decided  to  resign  his 
position  in  the  — th  Massachusetts,  for  his  continued 
absence  not  only  deprived  the  regiment  of  his  serv 
ices,  but  prevented  some  deserving  officer,  who  per 
formed  his  duties,  from  receiving  the  pay  and 
promotion  to  which  he  was  justly  entitled.  But  he 
did  not  take  this  decisive  step  till  he  was  assured 
by  the  general  that  he  could  have  an  appointment 
on  the  staff  as  soon  as  he  was  able  to  discharge  the 
duties  of  the  position. 

While  Somers  was  absent  from  the  army,  the  great 
battle  of  Fredericksburg  had  been  fought ;  and  the 
brave,  noble,  and  Christian  Burnside,  perplexed  by 
the  treachery  of  seeming  friends,  by  the  over-zealous 
movements  of  real  ones,  and  by  the  machinations  of 
envious  and  jealous  officers,  who  should  have  been 
foremost  to  support  him,  was  badly  defeated.  The 
rank  and  file  behaved  nobly,  fought  well,  and  the 
day  ought  to  have  been  won ;  but  the  parts  of  the 
grand  army  were  disjointed ;  they  did  not  act  in 


Fighting  Joe.  147 

concert ;  and  portions  of  the  force  were  left  to  be 
mercilessly  slaughtered.  The  devoted  and  unselfish 
Burnside  shouldered  the  responsibility,  and  stepped 
down  from  the  exalted  military  pinnacle  to  which  he 
had  been  raised  without  ambition,  and  against  his 
own  desires. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Major-General  Hooker,  the 
"  bravest  of  the  brave,"  and  one  of  the  ablest  soldiers 
which  the  war  had  developed.  He  had  fought  and 
lost  the  great  battle  of  Chancellorsville ;  but  he,  too, 
was  a  victim  of  jealousy  and  indecision  on  the  part 
of  men  whose  purposes  were  their  own,  instead  of 
their  suffering  country's. 

The  culminating  battle  of  the  war  was  fought  at 
Gettysburg  by  his  successor.  It  was  a  decisive 
victory;  for  the  defiant  foe  was  penetrating  the 
heart  of  the  North,  and  there  could  be  no  trifling 
with  the  terrible  fact  that  stared  the  nation  full  in 
the  face.  The  generals  and  the  army  fought  nobly, 
and  the  exulting  rebels  were  hurled  back,  shattered 
and  discomfited,  to  the  soil  of  Virginia. 

The  battle  of  Gettysburg  was  immediately  followed 
by  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg  and  Port  Hudson ; 
and  operations  on  the  West  and  Southwest  attracted 
the  attention  of  the  country  during  the  remainder 
of  the  year,  while  the  army  of  the  Potomac  was  com 
paratively  quiet  in  Virginia.  The  battle  of  Chicka- 
mauga  Creek  was  fought,  and  the  Union  army 
defeated,  and  only  saved  from  disaster  by  the  skill 
and  firmness  of  General  Thomas. 

The  Confederate  authorities,  taking  advantage  of 
the  lull  in  the  storm  of  battle  in  the  East,  sent 
General  Longstreet  and  his  corps  to  the  West,  which 
being  understood  in  Washington,  the  eleventh  and 
twelfth  corps  of  the  army  of  the  Potomac  were 


148  Fighting  Joe. 

despatched,  under  command  of  General  Hooker,  to 
counteract  this  addition  to  the  force  of  the  rebels. 

Captain  Somers  had  impatiently  watched  the 
progress  of  events  in  the  East  and  in  the  West,  and 
mourned  over  the  necessity  which  compelled  him  to 
remain  inactive.  He  had  attended  to  his  health, 
and  felt  that  he  was  completely  restored,  even  before 
his  stubborn  physician  would  acknowledge  the  fact. 
But  in  the  month  of  September,  when  he  had  been 
nearly  a  year  off  duty,  the  doctor  gave  him  a  "  clean 
bill  of  health."  He  had  employed  much  of  his  time, 
since  his  strength  would  permit,  in  athletic  exer 
cises — in  rowing,  in  gymnastics,  and  in  hard  labor 
in  the  garden.  He  was  heavier  and  stronger  than 
he  had  ever  been  before,  and  he  was  ashamed  to 
remain  any  longer  in  idleness  when  the  country 
needed  his  arm.  He  wrote  to  the  general  again,  just 
as  the  stalwart  hero  was  on  the  point  of  starting  for 
the  West. 

Three  days  after,  Somers  received  a  reply,  inform 
ing  him  that  in  a  short  time  he  would  receive  a 
commission  as  a  captain  in  the  regular  army,  and  an 
appointment  on  his  staff  as  senior  aide-de-camp.  To 
this  agreeable  intelligence  was  added  the  hardly 
less  agreeable  fact  that  Major  de  Banyan  and  Cap 
tain  Barkwood  would  also  be  members  of  his  mili 
tary  family. 

"  Glory,  hallelujah  I "  shouted  Somers,  as  he 
rushed  into  the  humble  cottage  at  Pinchbrook. 

"  What  on  airth  is  the  matter  now,  Thomas  ? " 
asked  his  mother,  dropping  the  wet  dishcloth  on 
the  floor  in  her  astonishment. 

"  Read  that,  mother ! "  shouted  the  captain. 

u  I  hain't  got  my  glasses,  Thomas.  What  is 
it?" 


Fighting  Joe.  149 

**  A  captain  in  the  regular  army !  A  soldier  for 
life.  What  will  Lilian  say  to  that?" 

"  Dear  me !  Well,  that  is  news,"  added  Mrs. 
Soraers,  who,  however,  was  not  very  clear  in  regard 
to  the  distinction  between  a  regular  and  a  volunteer 
officer.  "I  suppose  the  gal  will  think  you  are  a 
pretty  smart  boy.  I  hope  it  won't  make  you  proud 
and  vain,  Thomas." 

"  I'm  proud,  mother ;  but  I  guess  it  won't  make 
me  vain.  I  tell  you  what,  it's  no  small  thing  to  be 
a  captain  in  the  regular  army.  I  think  Lilian  won't 
like  me  any  less  for  this." 

"  Cat's  foot !  She  won't  like  you  any  more.  If 
she  does,  she  ain't  the  gal  I  take  her  to  be.  Do  you 
suppose  she  will  want  you  off  all  the  time,  when 
you — " 

"  Come,  mother,  you  are  getting  ahead  of  my 
time,"  said  the  young  captain,  with  a  blush  "  Well, 
I  wish  the  papers  would  come,  for  I  am  in  a  hurry 
to  be  at  work  again." 

"  They'll  come  soon  enough,"  added  the  mother, 
sadly,  as  she  thought  of  another  long  separation, 
and  the  dismal  hours  that  would  be  spent  in  wait 
ing  for  intelligence  of  him  after  a  battle  had  been 
fought. 

The  next  day  came  a  long  letter  from  De  Banyan, 
in  which  he  congratulated  himself  and  his  friend  on 
the  prospect  before  them,  and  proposed  to  meet  him 
at  Louisville  on  the  journey  to  the  new  field  of 
operations.  The  commission  and  the  appointment 
soon  followed,  and  Somers  again  donned  his  staff 
uniform.  The  hardest  thing  before  him  was  to 
leave  home,  which  had  become  doubly  endeared  to 
him  by  his  long  stay.  He  had  seen  his  twin 
brother,  now  in  the  navy,  during  a  brief  visit  the 


1 50  Fighting  Joe. 

latter  made  to  Pinchbrook,  when  sent  to  Boston  as 
prize-master  of  a  brig  he  had  captured.  This  was 
the  only  time  they  had  met  since  the  departure  of 
Thomas,  at  the  commencement  of  the  war, 

Mrs.  Somers  was  a  woman  of  tender  feelings, 
and  she  wept  bitterly  as  she  again  bade  her  son 
adieu,  and  gave  him  into  the  keeping  ef  the  al 
mighty  Father,  who  had  protected  and  preserved 
him  through  so  many  perils.  In  Boston,  as  may 
well  be  supposed,  he  hastened  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Ashford,  and  saw  Lilian,  who  had  already  been  in 
formed  of  his  intended  departure.  She  now  had  a 
deeper  interest  in  him  than  ever  before;  and  she 
was  sad,  but  hopeful.  Another  earnest  prayer  to 
God  for  his  safety  was  to  be  added  daily  and  nightly 
to  those  which  went  up  from  the  humble  home  in 
Pinchbrook. 

"  Do  you  see  this  bundle,  Lilian  ?  "  said  Somers, 
as  he  opened  the  parcel  in  his  hand. 

"What  is  it?" 

"  Don't  you  see  ?  " 

«  Socks ! " 

"  They  are  the  banner  under,  or  rather,  over, 
which  I  fight,"  said  he,  handing  her  the  articles. 

"  They  are  hardly  worn  at  all,"  replied  she,  with 
a  sad  smile. 

"  But  they  have  been  on  my  feet  in  every  battle 
in  which  I  have  been  engaged.  I  never  wear  them 
except  in  a  fight,  for  I  don't  want  to  wear  them 
out." 

"  I  will  knit  you  some  more." 

"  But  they  would  not  be  these,  if  you  did,'* 
laughed  Somers,  trying  to  be  as  cheerful  as  possi 
ble.  u  These  socks  have  helped  me  to  do  my  duty ; 
and  they  introduced  me  to  you,  which  is  the  best 


Fighting  Joe.  151 

part  of  it.  When  the  war  is  over,  I  am  going  to 
put  them  in  a  glass-case,  and  keep  them  in  my 
room,  to  remind  me  of  the  scenes  of  the  past." 

"  You  are  a  funny  fellow,  Thomas,"  said  she. 

"  Perhaps  I  am ;  but  I  mean  all  I  say." 

A  great  deal  more  was  said,  which  we  are  afraid 
would  look  very  silly  to  some  wise  and  prudent 
people,  if  we  should  transfer  it  to  our  page ;  but 
the  words  spoken  by  both  were  very  earnest  and 
sincere,  though  perhaps  they  were  rather  senti 
mental,  as  might  have  been  naturally  expected 
under  such  circumstances.  He  spoke  the  good-by, 
and  left  the  house.  He  did  not  see  the  tears  shed 
by  Lilian  after  he  had  gone.  More  than  her  words, 
even,  they  told  of  her  sincerity.  Mr.  Ashford  was 
not  at  home  when  he  called,  and  Somers  paid  his 
respects  to  him  at  his  counting-room.  The  wealthy 
merchant  was  deeply  interested  in  him,  and  readily 
accepted  the  fact  which  the  intimacy  between  his 
daughter  and  the  young  soldier  indicated. 

Followed  by  the  prayers  and  the  hopes  of  devoted 
friends,  he  proceeded  on  his  journey  to  the  West. 
Alick,  who  had  been  at  work  in  Pinchbrook  during 
the  year,  accompanied  him  as  his  servant.  In  due 
time  he  reached  Louisville,  where,  in  conformity 
with  the  arrangement,  he  met  Major  de  Banyan, 
and  together  they  repaired  to  Nashville.  They  had 
brought  with  them  their  saddles,  and  other  military 
equipments,  but  it  was  necessary  to  procure  horses 
at  this  place. 

The  headquarters  of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth 
corps  were  at  Bridgeport,  on  the  Tennessee,  about 
thirty  miles  from  Chattanooga,  which  was  the  point 
at  which  the  military  operations  centred.  Though 
the  country  between  Nashville  and  the  advanced 


152  Fighting  Joe. 

line  of  the  Union  army  was  in  military  possession 
of  the  loyal  forces,  it  was  in  a  very  disturbed  con 
dition.  There  were  strong  Union  men  there ;  but 
the  rebels  predominated,  and  the  region  was  infested 
with  Confederate  cavalry  and  irresponsible  guerillas. 
The  military  railroad,  by  which  the  army  received 
its  supplies,  was  necessarily  guarded  by  troops 
through  every  mile  of  its  course. 

Having  procured  their  horses,  Somers  and  De 
Banyan  proceeded  by  the  railroad  towards  their 
destination.  The  destruction  of  a  bridge,  about 
twenty  miles  from  Bridgeport,  suspended  the  farther 
progress  of  the  train,  and  our  officers  decided  to  ac 
complish  the  balance  of  the  journey  on  horseback. 
Each  of  them  had  a  servant,  and  an  extra  horse  to 
meet  the  contingencies  of  the  service. 

"  We  shall  not  be  able  to  find  our  way,  I'm  afraid," 
said  Somers,  as  they  rode  along  through  a  wild 
region. 

"  You  forget  that  I  am  at  home  in  this  part  of  the 
country,"  replied  the  major. 

"Are  you?" 

"  I  was  born  and  raised  not  twenty  miles  from 
this  spot,  in  the  town  of  Winchester,  over  in  that 
direction,"  he  added,  pointing  to  the  northwest. 
"  I  know  every  foot  of  land  about  here ;  and  I  am 
indebted  to  that  fact  for  my  appointment  on  the 
general's  staff." 

"Then  we  shall  not  be  likely  to  get  lost." 

"  No ;  but  the  guerillas  are  as  thick  around  here 
as  raisins  in  a  plum  pudding.  I  suppose  I  should 
have  an  excellent  opportunity  to  be  hung  if  any  of 
them  should  catch  me." 

"  What  did  you  come  down  here  for,  then  ?  " 

"It  makes  no  difference  to  me.    I  rather  enjoy 


Fighting  Joe.  153 

the  excitement  of  the  danger ;  besides,  I  should  like 
to  help  restore  my  state  to  her  allegiance." 

tt  It  is  almost  night,  major.  I  don't  think  it  is 
prudent  for  us  to  beat  about  this  region  in  the 
dark." 

"  It  is  safer  to  beat  about  than  it  is  to  lie  down 
and  go  to  sleep ;  but  there  is  a  house  a  couple  of 
miles  from  here,  where  a  Union  man  used  to  live. 
We  will  stop  there  if  you  like." 

**  I  think  we  had  better  do  so,"  replied  Somers. 

u  Perhaps  we  had,  especially  as  it  looks  very  much 
like  a  storm." 

They  reached  the  house,  which  was  the  residence 
of  the  owner  of  a  large  plantation.  It  had  been  an 
elegant  establishment  before  the  war,  but  it  looked 
like  waste  and  ruin  around  it.  The  travelers  stopped 
before  the  mansion.  De  Banyan  dismounted,  and 
throwing  the  bridle-rein  to  his  servant,  walked  up 
to  the  front  door. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

THE    GUERILLAS    AT    SUPPEB. 

DE  BANT  AN  knocked  at  the  door ;  but  as  no  one 
answered  his  summons,  he  went  in  without  further 
ceremony,  Somers  remaining  on  his  horse  to  await 
the  result  of  the  interview.  It  was  now  quite  dark  ; 
the  wind  howled  savagely  through  the  trees,  and  the 
ram  began  to  fall  in  torrents. 

"  Bad  night,  massa,"  said  Alick,  as  he  drew  his 
overcoat  closer  around  him. 


154  Fighting  Joe. 

u  Yes ;  but  we  expect  to  stop  at  this  house  to 
night,"  replied  the  captain. 

"  De  storm  make  you  sick  again,  massa." 

"  No,  I  think  not." 

"  Must  be  careful,  massa  cap'n.  I  reckon  dey  has 
de  fever  V  agur  right  smart  in  dis  yere  country.'* 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Somers,  carelessly ;  for 
he  was  thinking  that  his  friend  was  absent  a  long 
time  upon  his  mission. 

He  waited  a  quarter  of  an  hour  longer,  and  began 
to  be  impatient  at  De  Banyan's  long  absence.  He 
thought  the  major  must  be  having  a  very  pleasant 
interview  with  his  old  acquaintance,  and  had  for 
gotten  that  his  friend  was  out  in  the  storm  waiting 
for  him.  At  last  his  patience  was  completely  ex 
hausted,  and  he  had  it  hi  his  heart  to  rebuke  the 
thoughtlessness  of  his  companion. 

"  Here,  Alick,  hold  my  horse,"  said  Somers,  as  he 
dismounted.  "The  major  has  gone  to  sleep,  and 
forgotten  that  we  are  waiting  for  him." 

"  Yes,  massa ;  but  dat  ain't  much  like  de  major, 
to  forget  you,"  replied  Alick,  taking  the  rein. 

"  No,  it  is  not ;  but  I'll  venture  to  say  he  is  having 
a  good  time  in  the  house." 

Somers  walked  up  to  the  front  door,  and  knocked 
with  his  fist.  As  in  the  former  instance,  it  brought 
no  response ;  and  he  repeated  the  summons  with 
the  butt  of  his  pistol,  but  with  no  better  success 
than  before.  It  was  evident  that  the  family  were 
very  deaf,  or  that  they  occupied  the  rear  of  the 
house,  where  the  sound  could  not  reach  them. 
Following  the  example  of  De  Banyan,  he  opened  the 
door  and  entered.  At  the  end  of  a  long  entry  he 
saw  a  light  through  a  crack,  which  he  followed  till  it 
brought  him  to  another  door,  at  which  he  knocked. 


Fighting  Joe.  155 

"  What  do  you  want  ?  "  demanded  a  large,  rough, 
uncouth-looking  man,  who  presented  himself  at  the 
door. 

"  Where  is  the  gentleman  that  came  in  here 
half  an  hour  ago?"  asked  Soiners,  rather  im 
patiently. 

"  Haven't  any  room,"  replied  the  man,  in  a  loud 
tone. 

"  I  asked  where  the  gentleman  was  who  came  into 
the  house  half  an  hour  ago,"  repeated  the  captain. 

« I'm  deef." 

"  I  should  think  you  were,"  said  the  inquirer,  in  a 
low  tone ;  after  which  he  uttered  his  question  again 
at  the  top  of  his  lungs. 

"  I  don't  know  him,"  yelled  the  deaf  man. 

"  He  came  into  this  house." 

"Four  o'clock  in  the  morning,"  screamed  the 
man. 

"  Have  you  seen  any  one  come  into  this  house  ?  " 
shouted  Somers. 

"  Blind  in  one  ear,  and  deaf  in  one  eye,"  returned 
the  man,  with  a  grin. 

"Who  lives  here?" 

"I  do." 

"  What's  your  name  ?  " 

«  Skinley." 

"What are  you?" 

"  None  o'  yer  business." 

"  Do  you  live  alone  ?  " 

«  What's  that  ter  you  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  see  the  man  that  came  in  here  a  while 
ago." 

«  Come  in." 

Somers  did  not  like  the  looks  of  things  at  all ; 
and  if  he  had  not  been  interested  in  De  Banyan,  he 


156  Fighting  Joe. 

would  have  retired  in  disgust  from  the  house ;  as  it 
was,  he  entered  the  room.  As  he  did  so  he  heard 
the  sounds  of  coarse  revelry,  which  suddenly  burst 
upon  his  ear  from  an  apartment  farther  in  the  rear 
of  the  mansion. 

"  Mr.  Skinley,  I  wish  to  see  the  gentleman  who 
came  in  before  me,"  said  Somers,  putting  his  hand 
on  his  pistol. 

«  Do  yer  ?  " 

«I  do." 

"  Well,  yer  needn't  yell  no  more  ;  there  ain't  none 
so  deef  as  them  that  won't  hear.  You  kin  see  him," 
replied  the  man,  with  a  grin,  which  seemed  to  in 
dicate  that  Somers  had  been  made  the  victim  of  a 
practical  joke. 

«  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"  In  yender,"  replied  Skinley,  pointing  to  the  door 
of  the  room  from  which  the  sounds  of  revelry  had 
come. 

Somers  had  a  great  many  doubts  in  regard  to  the 
situation.  There  was  evidently  a  considerable  body 
of  men  in  the  house. 

"Mr.  Skinley — " 

"I  ain't  Mister  Skinley.  I  told  you  what  my 
name  was.  My  name's  Skinley." 

«  Well,  Skinley." 

"  That  sounds  more  like  it,  stranger.  Now,  what's 
your  name  ?  " 

"  Somers." 

"  What  are  you  ?  " 

"  None  of  your  business." 

"  Whar  yer  gwine  ?" 

«  What's  that  to  you  ?  " 

"  All  right,  stranger." 

"Now,  Skinley,  who  are  those  men  hi  yonder?" 


Fighting  Joe.  157 

asked  Somers,  good-natured  in  spite  of  the  circum 
stances  of  doubt,  and  possibly  peril,  which  sur 
rounded  him,  as  he  pointed  to  the  rear  room. 

"  Friends  of  mine." 

"  How  many  are  there  ?  " 

"  Go  in  and  count  'em.  What  yer  want  to  know 
fur?" 

"  A  man  in  these  times  don't  generally  have  so 
many  friends  as  you  seem  to  have." 

"  I'm  a  good  feller,  Somers,  and  they  all  like  me," 
replied  Skinley,  laughing  heartily. 

"  You  have  one  of  my  friends  in  there." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  You  said  so." 

"  Well,  Somers,  a  feller  don't  allus  know  who  his 
friends  is,  in  these  times." 

"  But  I  know  him ;  and,  Skinley,  would  you  be  so 
kind  as  to  call  him  out?" 

"  It  can't  be  did,"  said  the  uncouth  abomination 
of  a  man,  very  positively. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Whar  d'yer  larn  yer  manners  ?  He's  havin*  a 
bout  o'  whiskey  with  the  boys ;  and  I'd  as  soon  think 
o'  techin'  a  pant'er  at  his  grub  as  a  sojer  at  his 
whiskey." 

"  If  you  tell  him  Somers  is  here,  he  will  not  take 
offense." 

"  Yes,  he  will.  Them's  good  fellers.  Go  in  and 
jine  'em,"  said  Skinley,  throwing  the  door  wide 
open. 

Seated  around  a  long  table,  on  which  there  was 
still  a  plentiful  supply  of  bacon  and  corn  dodgers, 
and  a  great  many  bottles,  were  about  twenty  of  the 
roughest-looking  fellows  the  staff  officer  had  ever 
laid  eyes  upon.  At  the  end  of  the  board  was  De 


158  Fighting  Joe. 

Banyan,  apparently  as  happy  and  contented  as  the 
rest  of  the  party.  Somers  had  no  difficulty  hi 
promptly  arriving  at  the  conclusion  that  the  men 
were  guerillas.  They  had  evidently  drank  all  the 
whiskey  that  was  good  for  them. 

"Come  in,  Somers,"  shouted  the  major,  uproar 
iously.  "  Come  in,  and  we  will  make  room  for  you. 
My  friend  Somers,"  he  added,  turning  to  his  wild 
companions. 

"  Come  in,  Somers,"  said  half  a  dozen  of  the  guer 
illas. 

"  Hand  him  the  whiskey,"  put  in  one,  who  sat  at 
the  farther  end  of  the  table. 

"  You'll  have  to  excuse  him,  boys,"  interposed  De 
Banyan.  "  He  never  drinks  whiskey ;  it  don't  agree 
with  him.  Have  you  any  French  brandy  ?  " 

"  Not  a  drop." 

The  major  knew  they  had  not;  he  was  aware 
that  Somers  would  fight  the  whole  crowd  rather 
than  take  a  glass  of  liquor  of  any  kind. 

Somers  was  bewildered  by  the  scene  before  him  ; 
but  he  readily  understood  that  his  friend  was  com 
promising  with  unfavorable  circumstances,  and  he 
did  what  he  could  to  help  the  illusion,  though  he 
did  not  know  what  De  Banyan  had  said  or  done 
to  create  such  remarkably  good  fellowship  between 
himself  and  such  wretched  outlaws.  He  sat  down 
at  the  table  and  ate  heartily  of  the  bacon  and  bread, 
which  were  very  acceptable,  for  our  travelers  had 
eaten  nothing  since  breakfast. 

"  Here's  to  the  health  of  Jeff  Davis  !  "  said  the 
man  at  the  opposite  end  of  the  table,  who  appeared 
to  be  the  commander  of  the  squad.  "  All  up." 

The  guerillas  rose  to  their  feet,  De  Banyan  with 
them,  with  a  glass  in  his  hand. 


Fighting  Joe.  159 

**  All  up ! "  exclaimed  the  major,  heartily. 

Somers  rose  then,  with  a  glass  of  water  in  his 
hand,  which  a  black  woman  in  attendance  had 
brought  him  ;  but  he  had  no  more  intention  of  drink 
ing  the  health  of  Jeff  Davis,  even  in  a  glass  of 
water,  than  he  had  of  supporting  the  arch  rebel 
with  his  sword. 

"  President  Davis,"  said  the  leader. 

"  President — Lincoln,"  added  the  major,  dropping 
his  voice  as  he  uttered  the  last  word. 

"  President — Lincoln,"  repeated  Somers,  in  the 
same  manner. 

"  One  more ! "  shouted  the  commander  of  the 
squad,  as  he  filled  his  glass  again ;  and  his  example 
was  followed  by  all  present.  "  Here's  confusion  to 
the  Yankees ! " 

"  Confusion  to  the  Yankees  !  "  repeated  the  other 
guerillas. 

"  Confusion  to  the — rebels ! "  said  De  Banyan  and 
Somers,  using  the  same  tactics  as  before. 

The  guerillas,  as  if  satisfied  that  they  had  firmly 
established  Jeff  Davis  on  his  throne,  and  hurled 
confusion  among  the  Yankees,  rose  from  the  table- 

Their  leader  came  over  and  took  De  Banyan  by 
the  hand. 

"  What  did  you  say  your  name  was  ? "  asked 
he. 

"  De  Banyan,"  replied  the  other. 

"  And  you  are  going  to  join  Wheeler's  cavalry  ?  " 

"  That's  what's  the  matter,"  answered  the  major, 
who  readily  adapted  himself  to  the  manners  of  his 
new  friends. 

"  Can't  we  make  it  worth  your  while  to  stay  with 
us  ?"  continued  the  chief.  "You  are  a  good  fellow, 
and  look  as  though  you  could  fight." 


160  Fighting  Joe. 

«  Wheeler  expects  me,  and  I  don^'t  wish  to  dis 
appoint  him.  I'm  going  on  his  staff." 

«  There  is  something  up  to-night,"  said  the  chief, 
confidentially ;  "  and  you  may  make  your  fortune  in 
a  few  days." 

"  I  don't  object  to  that," 
«  I'll  tell  you  about  it,  if  you  like." 
«  I  don't  object." 

«  I  don't  know  as  I  will,  either ;  it  would  hardly 
be  prudent  for  me  to  do  so.  You  may  be  one  of 
those  shrewd  Yankees,  after  all.  You  know  you 
wear  Yankee  colors,"  added  the  chief,  doubtfully. 

«  I  tell  you  I  was  born  in  Winchester,  not  twenty 
miles  from  here  ;  and  I  am  no  more  a  Yankee  than 
you  are,"  protested  the  major. 

"I'll  trust  you,"  said  the  leader.  "You  cant 
spoil  the  job,  if  you  don't  help  us.  You  are  a 
tonguy  feliow,  and  I  want  you  more  than  I  want 
the  girl  that  promised  to  marry  me  when  the  war  is 
over.  I've  got  the  smartest  set  of  men  that  ever 
sat  in  a  saddle.  They  are  all  Texans." 

«  I  see  they  are,"  added  De  Banyan,  glancing  at 
the  cutthroats  who  formed  the  squad. 

"I've  got  the  keenest  scout  on  the  lookout  for  me 
that  you  can  find  this  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
He's  a  young  fellow  of  eighteen,  and  goes  inside  the 
Yankee  lines  like  a  native.  We  go  in  for  making 
money  out  of  this  thing,  while  we  do  a  good  job  for 
the  South." 

«  Of  course,"  said  De  Banyan,  carelessly. 
«  There's  a  paymaster  coming  down  from  Nash 
ville,  on  one  of  these  trains,  with  a  heap  of  green 
backs  to  pay  off  the  Yankee  army.     We  want  those 
greenbacks,  and  we  shall  have  them  too." 

«  If  you  can  get  them,"  suggested  De  Banyan. 


Fighting  Joe.  161 

«  We  can  get  them ;  and  if  you  want  your  share 
of  them,  you  have  only  to  join  my  company.  If 
you  will,  I'll  tell  you  the  rest." 

"  I'm  yours,"  replied  the  major. 

"  And  you  ?  "  asked  the  leader,  turning  to  Somers, 
who  had  been  listening  eagerly  to  the  conversation. 

"  I  go  with  De  Banyan." 

"  Good  !  Tippy — that's  my  scout — will  come 
down  in  the  train  with  the  paymaster.  The  cars 
will  stop  at  the  broken  bridge,  and  Tippy  will  come 
over  here  with  his  information ;  and  all  I  have  to 
do  then  will  be  to  pounce  on  the  escort,  and  pocket 
the  greenbacks.  What  do  you  think  of  it  ?  " 

"  It's  a.  tip-top  idea,  and  I'm  with  you," 

"  I  expect  Tippy  will  be  here  to-morrow." 

"  All  right ;  I  can  help  you  about  this  business." 

"  You  can  ;  now,  if  you  could  step  in  and  tell  the 
paymaster  you  are  a  Yankee,  and  with  that  smooth 
tongue  of  yours  prevent  him  from  taking  too  much 
cavalry  with  him,  you  would  earn  your  share  of  the 
money." 

«  I  will  do  it." 

"  You  can  make  a  man  believe  anything." 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  go  at  once." 

"  O,  no ;  there  is  no  need  of  going  till  Tippy  comes 
with  the  news." 

"  I  think  I  had  better  meet  the  train  on  the  way." 

"  Not  at  all,"  said  the  guerilla,  shaking  his  head. 
"  We  never  let  our  recruits  go  out  till  we  know 
them  better  than  I  know  you." 

"  You  won't  trust  me  ?  " 

«  Not  yet." 

"  Very  well,"  said  De  Banyan,  easily.  "  My  horse 
and  servant  are  out  in  the  storm  now.  I  will  take 
care  of  them." 


162  Fighting  Joe. 

"  We  will  go  with  you ; "  and  half  a  dozen  of  the 
villains  followed  De  Banyan  and  Somers  to  the 
place  where  they  had  left  the  servants  and  the 
horses. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TIPPY,  THE  SCOUT. 

ON  the  way  out  of  the  house,  De  Banyan  whis 
pered  a  few  words  in  the  ear  of  Somers,  while  they 
were  in  the  darkness  of  the  entry.  There  was  very 
great  danger  that  things  might  get  a  little  mixed ; 
that  Alick  and  the  other  servant  might  tell  wrong 
stories  about  their  respective  masters. 

"  Tell  Alick  to  say  we  are  rebels,"  was  the  sub 
stance  of  the  communication. 

When  they  reached  the  spot  where  the  horses 
had  been  left,  Somers  told  his  man  what  to  say.  It 
was  fortunate  that  he  did  so  promptly,  for  the 
guerilla  leader,  apparently  suspecting  something, 
suddenly  became  very  officious,  and  kept  close  to 
the  recruits.  The  horses  were  taken  to  the  stable, 
where  they  were  placed  with  tb.e  others,  after 
which  the  party  returned  to  the  house,  followed  by 
the  servants. 

"  What's  your  master's  name  ?  "  demanded  Cap 
tain  Lynchman,  the  leader  of  the  guerillas,  of 
Alick. 

"  Captain  Somers,  sar,"  replied  the  faithful 
fellow. 

"  What  is  he  captain  of  ?  " 

"  Dunno,  sar." 


Fighting  Joe.  163 

"  Where  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

"  Up  above,  sar." 

"  Is  your  master  a  Union  man  ?" 

"  I  reckon  he  isn't,  sar.  He's  a  right  smart  rebl, 
sar." 

"  Where  are  you  going  ?  " 

"  Dunno,  sar." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  in  his  service  ?  " 

"  Much  as  a  monf,  sar." 

The  captain  asked  many  other  questions,  but 
Alick  gave  prudent  answers ;  he  did  not  know 
much,  and  what  he  did  know,  he  did  not  know  cer 
tainly.  De  Banyan's  man,  taking  his  cue  from  his 
fellow-servant,  answered  in  similar  terms,  and  noth 
ing  was  made  out  of  either  of  them. 

During  the  evening  Somers  learned,  from  various 
members  of  the  band,  that  the  guerillas  were  only  a 
portion  of  an  organized  body,  duly  recognized  by 
the  Confederate  government,  engaged  in  partisan 
warfare.  The  talent  and  address  of  Major  de 
Banyan  had  attracted  the  attention  of  the  chief, 
who  affected  strategy  rather  than  a  bold  and  dash 
ing  policy.  Captain  Lynchman's  perception  was 
creditable  to  him,  and  if  the  major  would  have 
engaged  in  the  foul  business,  he  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  an  invaluable  assistant. 

Our  travelers  were  regarded  as  members  of  the 
band,  but  really  they  were  prisoners.  They  found 
no  opportunity  to  interchange  a  word  of  counsel,  or 
to  take  a  single  step  for  their  future  safety.  Both 
of  them  were  anxious  to  reach  the  headquarters  of 
"  Fighting  Joe  " ;  but  the  delay  was  not  voluntary 
on  their  part.  De  Banyan  had  chosen  between  cap 
ture  and  compromise.  He  had  presented,  as  he 
always  did,  a  bold  front,  and  disarmed  suspicion  in 


164  Fighting  Joe. 

the  beginning  by  his  skill  and  address — had  actually 
won  the  hearts  of  his  new  companions. 

Captain  Lynchman  affected  strategy,  and  while 
he  carefully  watched  the  recruits,  he  treated  them 
with  the  utmost  consideration.  His  future  move 
ments  depended  upon  the  information  to  be  brought 
by  Tippy,  the  scout.  After  the  horses  had  been 
cared  for,  the  guerillas  retired  for  the  night,  some 
of  them  taking  the  beds,  sofas,  and  divans,  others 
stretching  themselves  on  the  floors ;  but  there  was 
no  part  of  the  house  which  was  not  occupied  by 
them,  and  there  was  no  opportunity  for  our  travel- 
erg  to  "  cut "  their  unpleasant  associates  during  the 
night,  as  they  had  hoped  and  expected  to  do. 

Early  hi  the  morning,  Tippy,  the  scout,  arrived. 
All  the  guerillas  were  at  the  stables,  attending  to 
the  horses,  when  his  coming  was  announced.  The 
men  were  ordered  to  be  ready  to  mount  at  an 
instant's  notice ;  while  Captain  Lynchman  hastened 
to  the  house,  to  receive  the  intelligence  brought  by 
the  scout,  who  was  eating  his  breakfast  in  the 
kitchen. 

**  De  Banyan,  I  shall  want  you,"  said  the  leader ; 
"your  work  will  commence  about  this  time.  It 
will  take  the  greenback  train  an  hour  or  two  to  get 
ready  for  a  start.  Come  with  me." 

"  I  am  ready  for  anything,"  replied  the  major ; 
and  followed  by  Somers,  he  repaired  to  the  house 
with  the  guerilla  chief. 

They  entered  by  the  front  door,  and  taking  pos 
session  of  the  drawing-room,  the  captain  ordered 
Skinley,  who  seemed  to  be  the  commissary-general 
of  the  gang,  to  send  the  scout  into  the  room. 

"  Skinley,  you'll  be  deaf  now,"  said  Captain  Lynch- 
man. 


Fighting  Joe.  165 

u  I  reckon  they  ain't  none  so  deaf  as  them  that 
won't  hear,"  responded  the  Texan. 

"Then  you  won't  hear  what  Tippy  has  to  say. 
Bring  him  in." 

"  Tippy's  half  starved,  cap'n ;  they  don't  feed  'em 
much  up  among  the  Yanks." 

"  Let  him  eat,  but  tell  him  to  be  quick." 

Skinley  left  the  room ;  and  then,  for  the  first  time, 
the  captain  noticed  the  presence  of  Somers,  and  told 
him  to  leave  the  room. 

"  He's  my  friend,  Captain  Lynchman ;  I  have  no 
secrets  from  him,"  interposed  the  major,  with  dig 
nity.  "  If  you  can't  trust  him  you  can't  trust  me, 
and  we  will  move  on  to  the  headquarters  of 
Wheeler's  cavalry." 

"  Just  as  you  please,  major,"  replied  Lynchman ; 
"  but  it  is  hardly  regular." 

"  Nothing  is  very  regular  about  these  partisans. 
It  is  just  as  regular  for  him  as  for  me.  He  is  my 
right-hand  man,  and  I  can't  do  anything  without 
him.  I  don't  ask  your  confidence,  and  I  don't  want 
it.  I  am  just  as  willing  to  go  about  my  business  as 
I  am  to  stay  with  you." 

"  Jam  not  willing,  after  telling  you  my  plans." 

«  What  did  you  tell  them  to  me  for,  then  ?  " 

"  Because  I  wanted  you ;  and  I  did  not  expect  to 
get  you  without  offering  big  inducements.  We 
shall  divide  three  or  four  millions  in  greenbacks  to 
day,  if  we  manage  well.  I  believe  in  strategy  in  a 
case  like  this." 

"  So  do  I ;  and  that  is  the  very  reason  why  I  want 
Somers  to  know  all  about  the  matter." 

While  they  were  talking  about  it,  Tippy,  the 
scout,  entered  the  room.  He  was  a  young  man, 
with  a  bright  eye  and  a  manly  form,  and  looked  as 


1 66  Fighting  Joe. 

though  he  was  capable  of  doing  all  that  had  been 
claimed  for  him.  He  had  eaten  his  morning  meal 
very  hastily ;  indeed,  he  had  not  finished  it  when 
he  presented  himself  in  the  drawing-room,  for  his 
mouth  was  even  now  crammed  full  of  corn  cake, 
which  he  was  trying  to  dispose  of  so  that  he  could 
speak. 

Tippy  looked  at  Captain  Lynchman  first,  crunch 
ing  the  food  in  his  mouth  in  the  most  vigorous 
manner.  From  the  leader,  he  glanced  at  Somers, 
who  stood  next  to  him.  De  Banyan  had  walked 
away  to  a  window  on  the  other  side  of  the  room, 
and  as  he  turned  to  come  back,  the  scout  looked  at 
him.  Instantly  his  jaws  ceased  their  movements, 
and  he  started  back,  apparently  filled  with  astonish 
ment.  Somers  looked  at  the  major,  who  stood 
calmly  at  his  side ;  but  it  was  evident  that  he  was 
not  wholly  unmoved  by  the  appearance  of  Tippy. 

"Well,  what  does  all  this  mean?"  demanded 
Captain  Lynchman. 

Somers  again  glanced  at  the  major,  and  saw  him 
give  the  scout  a  very  slight,  but  energetic  shake  of 
the  head,  accompanied  by  a  look  which  seemed  to 
penetrate  to  the  very  soul  of  Tippy. 

"  Why  don't  you  speak  ?  "  demanded  Lynchman, 
impatiently. 

Tippy  improved  this  opportunity,  still  gazing 
intently  on  Major  de  Banyan,  to  swallow  the  food 
in  his  mouth.  He  finished  this  operation,  and 
Lynchman  waited  for  him  to  explain  his  singular 
conduct. 

**  Have  you  lost  your  tongue  ?  "  cried  he,  jumping 
out  of  his  chair. 

"I  cannot  speak,"  replied  Tippy,  exhibiting  a 
great  deal  of  emotion  in  his  tones. 


Fighting  Joe.  167 

**  Cannot  speak !    Do  you  know  this  man  ?  w 

"  I  do." 
•  «  Who  is  he  ?  " 

"  Let  him  answer  for  himself.  It  is  not  for  me  to 
speak  in  his  presence." 

"What  does  all  this  mean?"  said  the  guerilla 
leader,  bewildered  by  the  new  aspect  of  affairs. 
"  Who  is  this  man,  that  you  cannot  speak  in  his 
presence  ?  "  he  added,  turning  to  the  major. 

"  He  is  a  bigger  man  than  you  or  me,"  answered 
the  scout,  mysteriously. 

"That  may  be,  but  I  command  here.  Is  he  a 
traitor,  or  a  Yankee  ?  " 

"  No !  "  almost  shouted  the  scout.  "  He  belonged 
to  Winchester  once.  He  is  a  Tennesseean." 

"  Good ! "  exclaimed  the  captain,  apparently  much 
pleased  with  this  confirmation  of  what  the  major 
had  said  of  himself. 

"  Give  your  information,  Tippy,"  added  De  Banyan, 
with  an  awful  exhibition  of  dignity,  as  though  he 
were  the  "  big  man  "  whom  the  scout  had  represented 
him  to  be. 

"  Not  yet,"  said  Lynchman.  "  I  want  to  under 
stand  this  matter  a  little  better." 

"  We  have  been  in  Nashville  together.  We  have 
worked  together  for  years,"  interposed  De  Banyan. 

"  O,  that's  the  idea — is  it  ?  "  said  the  leader  of  the 
guerillas.  "  Then  you  are  a  scout  yourself,  Major 
de  Banyan?" 

"I  have  done  a  great  deal  of  hard  work  in  Vir 
ginia  and  in  Tennessee.  I  have  stood  by  the  flag 
almost  from  the  beginning,"  returned  the  major. 

"Is  this  so, Tippy?" 

a  It  is,  Captain  Lynchman.  Whatever  he  says  is 
right." 


1 68  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Major,  I  am  satisfied  now,"  said  the  chief,  ex- 
tending  his  hand  to  De  Banyan.  "  I  wanted  to  re 
pose  implicit  confidence  in  you  before,  but  prudence 
forbade." 

"  We  are  losing  time,"  said  De  Banyan. 

u  Now  tell  your  story,  Tippy,"  added  Lynchman. 

Somers  was  confounded  by  the  events  which  had 
just  transpired  before  him.  He  did  not  know  what 
to  make  of  them.  His  friend  had  a  wonderful  power 
over  the  scout,  which  he  could  not  explain ;  but 
whatever  occurred,  he  knew  that  De  Banyan  was 
a  true  man ;  that  the  recognition  and  devotion  of 
the  rebel  scout  to  him  were  no  evidences  of  infidelity. 
He  could  not  understand,  but  he  could  trust  the 
major. 

u  Shall  I  go  on,  sir  ?  "  said  the  scout,  appealing  to 
the  major. 

"  Certainly ;  proceed,"  replied  De  Banyan. 

Tippy's  story  was  short  and  to  the  point.  The 
paymaster  with  the  greenbacks  had  arrived,  and 
there  was  present  a  force  of  about  a  hundred  cavalry 
to  convoy  him  to  his  place  of  destination. 

"  A  hundred  I "  exclaimed  the  captain,  vexed  at 
this  information.  "I  shall  want  the  rest  of  my 
men." 

"  You  bet !  "  exclaimed  a  deep  voice  near  the  door, 
in  low,  emphatic  tones,  as  though  they  had  been 
used  in  soliloquy. 

"  Skinley  ! "  cried  the  captain,  angrily. 

There  was  no  reply,  and  Lynchman  repeated  the 
call  half  a  dozen  times,  as  loud  as  he  could  yell. 

"  D'ye  call  me,  cap'n  ?  "  said  the  Texan,  coming  to 
the  door,  which  was  now  discovered  to  be  partially 
open. 

"  I  did ;  you  have  been  listening  at  the  door." 


Fighting  Joe.  169 

«  Fotch  'em  as  soon  as  I  kin,  cap'n,"  said  the  burly 
fellow,  innocently. 

"None  of  that  with  me,"  added  Lynchman, 
angrily. 

"  Bet  yer  life  they  ain't,  cap'n." 

"Silence,  you  villain!"  thundered  the  captain, 
taking  a  pistol  from  his  belt. 

«  Take  keer,  cap'n  !  " 

"  Can't  you  hear,  Skinley  ?  If  you  can't,  I'll  open 
your  ears." 

"  You  told  me  to  be  deef,  cap'n." 

"  I  did ;  and  you  have  been  listening  to  all  that 
has  been  said  in  this  room." 

"  I  was  af eered  you  mought  forget  some  on't,  and 
mought  want  me  to  remound  you  of  it." 

"  Come  here." 

"  Here'm  I,  cap'n." 

"  Do  you  know  where  the  rest  of  our  men  are  ?  " 

"If  I  don't,  nobody  don't." 

"Ride  over  there  as  fast  as  you  can,  and  tell 
Sweetzer  to  meet  me  at  Tantallon  cross-roads  at 
once,  with  all  his  force.  Do  you  understand  ?  " 

"  I  kin  hear  now,  cap'n." 

"  It  will  take  you  an  hour  to  go,  and  another  hour 
for  Sweetzer  to  reach  the  cross-roads." 

"  How  many  men  have  you  ? "  demanded  De 
Banyan,  in  business-like  tones. 

"  About  a  hundred,"  replied  the  captain.  "  We 
can  make  a  sure  thing  of  it,  for  we  shall  outnumber 
the  Yankees,  and  choose  our  own  ground  besides." 

"  Where  are  they  now  ?  " 

"  At  Raybold's,  on  the  Salem  road.  I  have  driven 
them  hard  lately,  and  I  gave  them  a  few  days  to 
rest." 

«'  I  know  the  place.    It  is  near  the  mountains." 


170  Fighting  Joe. 

"Just  so.  I  believe  in  strategy,  and  I  thought  I 
should  do  better  with  twenty  men  than  I  should  with 
over  a  hundred ;  but  I  calculated  to  take  the  green 
backs  on  the  train." 

"  Your  plans  are  good ;  but  do  you  send  only  one 
man  on  such  a  message  ?  Suppose  he  should  fall 
from  his  horse,  or  be  shot  by  a  Yankee  ?  " 

"  I  can't  spare  but  one,  for  I  may  have  to  do  the 
job  before  the  rest  of  my  force  arrives." 

«  Send  Somers,"  suggested  the  major. 

"What  good  would  that  do?  He  couldn't  find 
my  men  ?  " 

"  Do  you  know  where  Ray  hold's  is,  Somers  ?  " 
asked  the  major. 

"  Certainly  I  do — just  by  the  mountains  on  the 
Salem  road,"  replied  Somers,  who  had  given  good 
attention  to  the  conversation. 

"  Right ;  you  will  do,"  added  the  captain. 

And  Somers  went  with  Skinley. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

SKINLEY,    THE    TEXAN. 

SOMERS  readily  understood  that  he  was  sent  off  by 
the  major  for  a  purpose  ;  but  De  Banyan  had  no  op 
portunity  to  explain  his  intention  before  he  went. 
It  was  plain  that  a  very  important  part  in  the  plan 
for  frustrating  the  object  of  the  guerillas  had  been 
entrusted  to  him,  but  he  had  not  a  single  word  of  in 
structions. 

As  Somers  mounted  his  horse,  he  saw  De  Banyan 
and  Tippy  leave  the  estate  and  ride  off  in  the  direc- 


Fighting  Joe.  171 

tion  of  the  railroad,  and  he  doubted  not  that  he  had 
been  sent  to  delay  the  paymaster,  and  assure  him 
that  the  road  to  the  army  was  perfectly  safe.  After 
the  full  and  unequivocal  indorsement  of  Tippy,  the 
major  was  fully  established  in  the  confidence  of  the 
guerilla,  who  unreservedly  communicated  to  him  his 
hopes  and  his  expectations. 

Somers  joined  Skinley,  who  was  to  be  his  compan 
ion  in  this  morning  ride.  The  "  Texican,"  as  he  de 
lighted  to  call  himself,  was  a  stout  fellow,  good- 
humored,  and  immensely  fond  of  a  joke.  Lynch- 
man  appeared  to  repose  great  confidence  in  him ; 
otherwise  he  would  not  have  sent  him  upon  his  pres 
ent  duty.  The  ruffian  was  armed  from  head  to  foot 
with  rifle,  pistols,  and  a  knife,  and  looked  like  a 
moving  arsenal.  He  was  a  formidable  person  for  a 
young  man  like  Somers  to  deal  with,  and  yet  it  was 
fully  evident  that  he  had  been  sent  by  the  major  to 
prevent  the  "  Texican  "  from  delivering  his  message. 

The  young  officer  did  not  like  the  duty,  for  there 
was  apparently  only  one  way  in  which  he  could  dis 
charge  it ;  and  that  was,  by  deliberately  shooting  his 
ugly  companion.  All  the  carnage  and  death  he  had 
seen  in  the  course  of  the  war — and  he  had  seen  a 
great  deal  of  them — had  not  impaired  his  respect  for 
human  life.  He  could  not  wantonly  sacrifice  even 
an  enemy.  He  was  with  this  man  as  his  friend — in 
disguise,  it  was  true ;  but  the  Texan  trusted  him — 
did  not  regard  him  as  a  foe.  To  turn  upon  him  in 
the  moment  when  he  suspected  no  danger,  looked 
cowardly ;  and  his  chivalrous  soul  revolted  at  the  act. 
Ruffian,  rebel,  traitor,  as  this  man  was,  he  was  one 
of  God's  creatures,  made  in  his  own  image,  and  noth 
ing  but  the  severest  necessity  could  justify  the  kill 
ing  of  him. 


1 72  Fighting  Joe. 

Thus  he  reasoned  on  the  one  hand ;  but  on  the 
other,  this  man  was  going  to  procure  a  force  to  shoot 
down  the  loyal  soldiers  of  the  Union;  to  rob  the 
government  of  the  money  intended  for  the  troops, 
upon  whose  earnings  wives  and  children  depended 
for  their  daily  bread.  But  this  was  war — what  the 
custom  of  civilized  nations  justified;  while  killing  a 
man  in  cold  blood  was  an  act  of  treachery  from  which 
he  could  not  but  shrink.  War  had  not  debased  him, 
for  he  still  read  his  Bible,  and  still  leaned  for  strength 
and. guidance  upon  that  arm  which  can  lead  and  sup 
port  all  who  confide  in  its  almighty  power. 

Somers  felt  that  he  could  not  do  this  deed.  It 
was  too  revolting,  too  barbarous ;  and  yet  it  must  be 
done,  or  others  would  bleed  and  die  for  his  want  of 
nerve.  He  could  not  settle  the  troublesome  question, 
and  he  determined  to  defer  the  deed  as  long  as  he 
could  without  imperiling  the  safety  of  the  pay 
master  and  his  escort. 

"  Well,  youngster,  you  mought  be  sent  out  to  keep 
me  warm,  I  s'pose,"  eaid  Skinley,  as  Somers  rode  up 
to  his  side,  after  he  had  carefully  considered  the  mis 
sion  upon  which  he  had  obviously  been  sent. 

"  Yes,  if  you  are  cold,"  replied  Somers. 

"I  am  cold,  Somers.  May  be  yer  hain't  got  a 
bottle  of  whiskey  in  yer  pocket — hain't  yer  ?  " 

"  I  have  not ;  I  never  use  it." 

"So  I  heerd  the  major  say;  but  hain't  yer  got 
nothin'  stowed  away  about  yer — any  brandy,  or  sich 
like?" 

"I  have  not." 

tt  Well,  Somers,  I  tell  yer  what  it  is,  Somers,  it 
was  a  great  mistake  comin'  off  without  no  whiskey, 
Somers." 

"I  don't  think  so." 


Fighting  Joe.  173 

«*  Don't  yer,  Somers?" 

*'  I  can  get  along  very  well  without  it." 

"  May  be  you  can,  Somers ;  but  I  can't.  I  feed 
on  whiskey,  Somers ;  and  I  could  no  more  go  to 
Raybold's  without  sunthin'  to  drink  than  I  could  go 
afoot  on  hossback,  or  go  hossback  afoot ;  'n'  I  take  it, 
Somers,  that  can't  be  did." 

"  But  you  will  have  to  go  without  it,  if  you  have 
none." 

"No,  I  won't — you  bet!"  exclaimed  Skinley. 
"  Thar'sa  Union  house  over  here  a  good  piece.  They 
allus  has  whiskey  and  bacon  when  we  poor  fellows 
has  to  thust  fur  meat  and  hunger  fur  liquor.  The 
old  man,  I  cal'late,  is  a  fust  cousin  of  some  gin'ral,  or 
some  of  them  fellows  in  Richmond,  fur  he's  got  some 
sort  o'  paper.  I'm  gwine  to  git  a  drink  when  we  git 
thar — bet  your  life.', 

"  But  if  they  have  a  safe-conduct,  you  can't  compel 
them  to  give  you  anything  They  will  show  you  the 
paper,"  replied  Somers. 

"Let  'em  show  it,  Somers;  I  can't  read  it," 
chuckled  the  Texan. 

"Why  not?" 

"  Well,  Somers,  I  ain't  up  to  print,  say  nothin'  of 
writin'.  If  they  make  any  muss  about  it,  I  kin  tell' 
'em  it  was  all  a  mistake — don't  yer  see,  Somers? 
May  be  I  mought  be  deef  too,  Somers." 

"  Perhaps  they  will  read  it  to  you." 

«  Then  I'm  deef,  sartin." 

"  Very  likely  they  will  give  you  what  you  want, 
if  you  ask  them  civilly." 

"  No,  they  won't,  Somers.  They  hate  us  wuss  'n 
pizen ;  but  I  hate  them  wuss  'n  they  hate  me." 

"  What  have  they  done  ?  " 

"They  ain't  done    nothin',  and    that's  what   I 


174  Fighting  Joe. 

hate  'em  fur.  The  Yanks  won't  tech  'em,  and  we 
can't  tech  'em,  Somers.  It  stands  to  reason,  Somers, 
sech  folks  ought  to  be  hated." 

Somers  decided  not  to  discuss  this  question,  and 
he  had  dropped  a  few  paces  behind  his  companion 
to  avoid  his  slang,  when  Skinley  exhibited  a  dispo 
sition  to  be  sociable,  and  insisted  that  the  road  was 
wide  enough  for  them  to  ride  abreast.  The  young 
officer  did  not  want  to  quarrel  with  the  ruffian,  and 
he  complied  with  his  request. 

"  Thar's  a  pooty  gal  over  to  Callicot's,  Somers," 
added  he,  with  a  coarse  grin.  "  P'rhaps  you'll  think 
more  of  that  than  yer  do  of  the  whiskey." 

"  Is  she  a  Union  girl  ?  "  asked  Somers — more  be 
cause  he  felt  compelled  to  speak  than  because  he 
felt  any  interest  in  the  new  subject. 

« In  course  she  are." 

"  You  don't  intend  to  meddle  with  her,  I  hope." 

"  What  makes  yer  hope  that  ?  "  demanded  Skinley, 
sourly. 

"  Are  you  a  soldier,  Skinley  ?  " 

«  You  bet !  " 

"A  true  soldier  always  respects  a  woman,  whether 
she  be  friend  or  foe." 

"  Somers,  your  idees  is  a  little  too  fine  cut  fur  me," 
snarled  the  Texan. 

"  Have  you  a  mother  ?  " 

"  Net's  I  knows  on.  She  gin  me  the  slip  when  I 
wan't  knee  high  to  a  chaw  terbaker." 

"Is  she  dead?" 

"  I  cal'late  she  is." 

"  Have  you  no  sister  ?  " 

"  May  be  I  hev'.  See  here,  Somers,  you  kin  draw 
yer  charge  on  that.  Yer  mought  be  a  preacher,  or 
sich  like ;  but  don't  yer  draw  that  string  on  me." 


Fighting  Joe.  175 

**  Very  well ;  I  have  nothing  to  say,  only  that,  if 
you  propose  to  insult  a  woman,  I  am  your  enemy." 

«  Be  you  ?  " 

Skinley  took  a  pistol  from  his  belt,  and  deliber 
ately  cocked  and  pointed  it  at  Somers,  to  whom  the 
act  seemed  to  reveal  his  companion  in  a  new  light. 
It  was  naturally  to  be  supposed  that  a  man  who 
carried  such  an  armory  of  weapons  on  his  person 
was  a  dangerous  fellow;  but  from  this  moment 
Somers  looked  upon  him  as  a  bully.  He  had  given 
the  ruffian  no  cause  of  offense  for  which  he  could 
resort  to  desperate  measures. 

"  If  you  insult  a  woman,  I  am,"  replied  Somers, 
quietly  drawing  a  large  navy  revolver  which  he 
carried  in  his  belt. 

"Put  up  your  shooter,  Somers,"  said  Skinley, 
with  a  sickly  laugh,  as  he  lowered  his  pistol. 

"I  am  not  quite  ready  to  put  it  up,"  replied 
Somers,  sternly  ;  for  he  had  made  up  his  mind  that 
the  time  to  execute  the  task  imposed  upon  him  had 
come.  "  When  a  man  draws  a  pistol  upon  me,  he 
insults  me." 

"  I  only  did  it  to  see  what  sort  of  stuff  you  mought 
be  made  of,  Somers — that's  all,"  answered  Skinley. 

"I  am  not  satisfied  with  that  explanation.  I 
would  like  to  know  what  sort  of  stuff  you  '  mought ' 
be  made  of  now,"  said  Somers,  imitating  the  speech 
of  his  companion. 

"  I'm  a  Texican.  I  was  born  in  the  woods,  nussed 
on  hickory  nuts,  and  turned  out  to  paster  in  a  cane- 
brake.  When  I  kim  of  age  I  fed  on  gunpowder, 
and  druv'  four  alligators,  four  in  hand,  hitched  to  a 
sulky.  That's  what's  the  matter.  Don't  you  know 
now  what  sort  of  stuff  I  mought  be  made  of  ?  " 

"  Slang  and  brag,  I  should  say,  were  the  princi- 


176  Fighting  Joe. 

pal  ingredients  in  your  composition.  You  have  in- 
suited  me." 

"I  ax  yer  pardon ;  put  up  yer  shooter." 

Somers  did  so,  but  very  reluctantly.  It  was  only 
postponing  his  mission ;  though  the  discovery  that 
his  companion  was  a  coward  at  heart,  in  spite  of  his 
words,  and  hi  spite  of  the  liberal  display  of  arms 
about  him,  led  him  to  hope  that  he  might  dispose 
of  him  in  some  better  way  than  shooting  him. 

"I  ax  yer  pardon;  that's  what  a  Texican  does 
when  he  finds  he  mought  be  in  the  wrong." 

"  Very  well.  Now,  if  we  can't  talk  without 
quarreling,  I  will  keep  a  little  in  the  rear." 

"  Jest  as  you  say,  Somers." 

They  rode  along  in  silence  for  a  time,  till  they 
reached  a  house  much  superior  to  most  of  those 
they  had  seen  on  the  road,  at  which  Skinley  halted. 

"I'm  sufferin'  for  my  bitters,  Somers,"  said  the 
Texan,  as  he  reined  in  his  steed. 

"  Is  this  the  house  of  the  Union  man  ?  " 

«  Bet  yer  life  'tis.  I  only  want  a  little  drop  of 
whiskey,"  replied  Skinley,  as  he  rode  up  the  lane 
by  the  house,  followed  by  his  companion.  "  I  won't 
stop  only  a  second." 

The  guerilla  dismounted,  and  throwing  the  bridle 
rein  of  his  horse  over  a  post,  he  entered  without  the 
ceremony  of  knocking.  When  he  had  gone  in, 
Somers  rode  forward  till  he  came  to  the  windows  of 
the  house,  for  he  was  fearful  that  the  conduct  of  the 
Texan  would  not  be  conciliatory,  and  he  was  dis 
posed  to  defend  the  Union  people  within,  even  at 
the  peril  of  his  life. 

Skinley  was  absent  some  time — longer  than  a  due 
regard  for  the  urgency  of  his  mission  would  have 
tolerated;  but  Somers  was  in  no  hurry  to  reach 


Fighting  Joe.  177 

Raybold's  himself,  and  was  not  impatient  on  account 
of  the  delay.  It  was  evident  that  the  wretch  had 
not  readily  procured  his  dram ;  and  his  companion 
feared  that  he  might  resort  to  violence  in  enforcing 
his  demand.  The  delay  indicated  trouble  within  the 
house,  and  Somers  dismounted.  Fastening  his  horse 
to  a  gate,  he  walked  towards  the  entrance.  He  was 
not  one  moment  too  soon,  for  before  he  could  reach 
the  door,  he  heard  a  piercing  scream  uttered  by  a 
female.  He  rushed  in  with  his  revolver  in  his 
hand. 

"Don't  yell,"  said  Skinley,  as  he  entered.  "I 
only  want  yer  to  bring  on  the  whiskey.  I'm  so 
deef  I  can't  hear  yer,  if  yer  do  yell." 

Somers  stopped  at  the  door  of  the  room  where  the 
parties  were ;  for,  indignant  as  he  was,  he  was 
always  prudent.  He  cocked  the  pistol,  and  took  a 
survey  of  the  situation. 

"  I  tell  you  there  is  not  a  drop  of  whiskey  in  the 
house,  and  has  not  been  for  two  years,"  replied  the 
female,  who  was  a  young  and  well-dressed  lady,  and 
whose  personal  attractions  fully  justified  the  Texan's 
commendation  of  them. 

"  Yer  mought  tell  that  to  a  dead  alligator,  and 
he'd  scretch  yer  eyes  out  fur't,"  added  the  ruffian. 

"  I  have  told  you  the  truth ;  there  is  not  a  drop 
of  liquor  of  any  kind  in  the  house." 

"  'Tain't  so ;  all  our  boys  knows  you  keep  whiskey 
by  the  hogshead.  Now  fotch  on  the  liquor,  my 
darlin' ; "  and  as  he  spoke,  he  grasped  the  lady  by 
the  arm. 

She  evidently  regarded  his  touch  as  pollution, 
and  again  screamed  lustily. 

"  See  here ;  don't  be  so  techy.  I  ain't  gwine  ter 
hurt  yer." 


1 78  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Father ! "  cried  the  terrified  girl,  shrinking  from 
the  wretch. 

Somers  would  have  fired,  but  he  feared  the  report 
and  the  death  of  the  ruffian  before  her  face  would 
be  tyo  great  a  shock  for  the  lady.  She  was  fright 
ened,  but  she  seemed  to  have  perfect  control  of 
herself. 

"  Say,  doxy,  won't  yer  f otch  on  the  whiskey  ? " 
continued  Skinley  ;  and  again  he  attempted  to  seize 
the  arm  of  the  lady,  who  fled  before  him. 

"  Father ! "  screamed  she  again. 

Somers  stepped  into  the  room ;  at  the  same 
instant  an  elderly  gentleman  rushed  in  by  a  door  on 
the  opposite  side  of  the  apartment. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

THE  HOUSE  OF  THE  UNION  MAN. 

THE  gentleman  who  entered  the  room  from  the 
other  side  was  evidently  Mr.  Callicot,  the  father  of 
the  lady,  and  the  Union  man  of  whom  the  guerilla 
had  spoken.  He  was  unarmed,  but  there  was  a 
rifle  hanging  against  the  wall,  after  the  manner  of 
the  South  and  West.  The  old  gentleman  was  out 
of  breath  from  hurry  and  excitement,  and  was 
hardly  in  condition  to  confront  the  ruffian,  who  had 
been  bold  enough  hi  the  presence  of  a  timid 
woman. 

"  What  do  you  want  here  ?  w  demanded  Mr.  Cal 
licot,  hi  an  excited  tone. 


Fighting  Joe.  179 

rt  Nbthin',  squire,  but  a  drink  of  whiskey,"  replied 
the  Texan,  glancing  first  at  Somers,  and  then  at  the 
old  man. 

"  There  is  not  a  drop  of  whiskey  in  my  house, 
and  has  not  been  for  years,"  answered  Mr.  Callicot. 

"  I'm  a  Texican,  squire,  and  yer  can't  cheat  me. 
I  was  born  in  the  woods,  and  I  kin  smell  whiskey 
nine  mile  off." 

"  I  have  told  you  the  truth." 

"  No,  yer  hain't.  Fotch  on  your  whiskey,  squire," 
added  Skinley,  taking  one  of  his  pistols  from  his 
belt. 

"  I  have  a  safe-conduct  from  the  general  of  this 
department,"  said  the  old  man.  "  Here  it  is." 

"  I  can't  read  it,  stranger.  Don't  want  ter  read 
it,  nuther." 

«  Perhaps  you  will  read  it,"  said  Mr.  Callicot, 
walking  across  the  room,  and  handing  it  to  Somers. 

"  Don't  yer  tech  it,  Somers,"  said  the  Texan, 
angrily. 

Somers  took  the  paper,  glanced  at  it,  and  handed 
it  back  to  the  owner. 

"  Are  you  satisfied  ?  "  asked  the  old  man. 

«  I  am." 

"  That  ain't  handsome,  Somers.  Bekase  you  don't 
drink  whiskey,  it's  onreasonable  that  you  should 
spile  my  drink.  But  I'm  gwine  to  hev  my  liquor. 
Now,  squire,  will  yer  fotch  on  the  whiskey,  or  won't 
yer?" 

"  I  would  if  I  had  any." 

"  But  yer  hev,"  said  Skinley,  raising  his  pistol ; 
and  before  Somers  could  realize  that  he  intended  to 
fire,  he  discharged  the  piece  at  Mr.  Callicot. 

"  O,  my  father !  "  screamed  his  daughter,  rushing 
towards  him. 


180  Fighting  Joe. 

"  What  do  you  mean,  you  villain  ?  "  cried  Somers, 
elevating  his  pistol,  and  instantly  firing. 

"  See  here,  Somers ;  that  ain't  handsome,"  replied 
Skinley.  "  I  didn't  tech  you." 

In  the  smoke  that  filled  the  room  Somers  had 
missed  his  aim,  and  the  Texan  was  now  entirely 
concealed  from  him. 

"  Leave  the  house ! "  shouted  Somers. 

"  Not  till  I  git  my  whiskey,  if  I  knows  it.  I  hain't 
killed  the  old  man ;  didn't  mean  to  kill  him  ;  only 
skeer  him  a  little.  May  be  you  mought  be  willing 
to  fetch  on  the  whiskey  now,  squire." 

"  I  have  none,  as  I  told  you  before,"  replied  Mr. 
Callicot,  who,  finding  he  was  not  wounded,  had, 
under  cover  of  smoke,  taken  down  the  rifle  from  the 
brackets  on  the  wall.  "Now  you  will  leave  my 
house." 

"  Come,  squire,  don't  be  techy,  but  fotch  on  the 
whiskey,"  said  Skinley,  evidently  not  pleased  with 
the  new  aspect  of  affairs. 

"  Leave  my  house !  "  replied  the  old  man  with 
dignity. 

Skinley,  finding  that  it  was  of  no  use  to  argue  the 
point,  slowly  backed  out  at  the  door  by  which  he 
had  entered. 

"  Shoot  him,  Somers,"  said  he. 

«  You  deserve  to  be  shot  yourself  for  this  outrage," 
added  Somers,  indignantly. 

"That  ain't  handsome,  Somers.  But  we  can't 
stop  no  longer,"  continued  the  Texan,  as  he  left  the 
house,  and  walked  towards  his  horse. 

"  Begone,  or  you  are  a  dead  man,"  said  Mr.  Callicot 
to  Somers,  who  still  remained  in  the  room. 

"  You  mistake  me,  sir,"  returned  Somers  ;  "  I  am 
a  friend,  and  not  an  enemy." 


Fighting  Joe.  181 

« Begone,  or  you  shall  die ! "  repeated  the  old 
man,  now  roused  to  the  highest  pitch  of  indignation 
"  You  fired  at  me  as  well  as  the  other  ruffian." 

« I  fired  at  him." 

At  this  moment  the  door  by  which  the  owner  of 
house  had  first  entered  was  thrown  wide  open,  and 
Somers  discovered  Skinley,  who  had  gone  round  the 
house,  and  come  in  by  another  entrance.  The 
wretch  instantly  raised  his  rifle,  and  fired.  The  old 
man  dropped  heavily  on  the  floor,  and  his  daughter 
uttered  a  scream  of  agony,  as  she  threw  herself  on 
his  body. 

"  That's  the  way  a  Texican  settles  yer  hash ! " 
shouted  Skinley. 

Somers,  who  had  returned  the  pistol  to  his  belt, 
drew  it  again,  and  fired  in  the  direction  of  the  door, 
though  the  smoke  prevented  him  from  seeing  the 
form  of  Skinley.  The  guerilla  rushed  out  of  the 
house  and  disappeared.  Somers  followed  him,  de 
termined  not  to  be  balked  this  time.  Unfortunately 
he  turned  to  the  left,  while  the  Texan  went  to  the 
right ;  and  when  he  had  passed  around  the  house  to 
the  lane,  he  discovered  the  scoundrel,  already 
mounted,  and  spurring  his  horse  away  from  the 
scene. 

Somers  sprang  into  his  saddle,  and  started  in  pur 
suit.  The  hour  had  come  to  avenge  the  old  man, 
and  to  discharge  the  duty  imposed  upon  him,  now 
made  easy  by  the  wretch's  crime.  He  urged  for 
ward  his  good  horse  to  the  utmost  of  his  speed,  and 
gained  rapidly  upon  him.  Skinley,  who  could  insult 
a  woman,  and  shoot  an  old  man,  had  a  wholesome 
fear  of  his  pursuer ;  but  when  he  found  that  Somers 
was  gaining  upon  him,  he  unslung  his  rifle,  and 
while  his  horse  was  at  full  speed,  turned  and  fired 


1 82  Fighting  Joe. 

at  his  late  companion.  The  bullet  did  not  come 
near  Somers,  who  still  urged  on  his  steed. 

Skinley,  for  some  reason  of  his  own,  perhaps  for 
the  purpose  of  putting  into  operation  some  method 
of  dodging  his  pursuer  which  he  had  learned  in 
fighting  Indians,  or  lassoing  cattle,  now  turned  into 
an  open  field.  Whatever  might  have  been  the 
merits  of  the  scheme  under  ordinary  circumstances, 
A,  was  fatal  to  him  in  the  present  instance ;  for, 
while  the  Texan  was  proceeding  in  a  direction  at 
right  angles  with  the  road,  Somers  dashed  into  the 
field,  and  cut  him  off,  by  taking  the  diagonal  of  the 
square,  while  Skinley  was  following  the  side.  Per 
haps  he  had  not  noticed  a  piece  of  low  ground, 
partially  covered  with  water,  which  compelled  him 
to  give  Somers  this  advantage. 

"  Tain't  handsome,  Somers ;  I  didn't  tech  you !  " 
yelled  Skinley,  when  he  perceived  that  he  had  lost 
the  game. 

Somers  elevated  his  revolver,  and,  taking  careful 
aim,  fired.  The  wretch  threw  up  his  arms,  sprang 
upward  in  his  saddle,  and  dropped  to  the  ground, 
while  his  horse  dashed  on  at  increased  speed,  when 
relieved  of  his  heavy  burden. 

"  My  work  is  done,"  said  Somers,  as  he  drew  in 
his  panting  steed. 

Turning  his  horse,  he  rode  slowly  back  to  the  spot 
where  Skinley  had  fallen.  Dismounting,  he  bent 
over  the  body  to  ascertain  the  result  of  his  shot. 
The  ball  had  struck  the  Texan  in  the  side,  and  had 
evidently  passed  through  his  heart,  for  he  was  en 
tirely  dead.  The  old  man  was  avenged ;  the  plot 
of  the  guerillas,  so  far  as  it  depended  upon  the 
arrival  of  Sweetzer  and  his  force,  was  defeated. 

Somers  took  from  the  corpse  of  the  guerilla  a  rifle, 


Fighting  Joe.  183 

three  pistols,  and  a  long  knife.  There  was  some 
thing  projecting  from  the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat 
which  looked  like  a  bundle  of  papers ;  and  the 
young  officer,  ever  intent  upon  procuring  informa 
tion,  drew  it  forth.  He  was  not  mistaken ;  it  was  a 
bundle  of  papers,  and  among  others  there  was  a 
note  from  Captain  Lynchman  to  Lieutenant  Sweet- 
zer ;  but  it  was  only  the  order  for  him  to  proceed 
forthwith  to  Tantallon  cross-roads.  Inasmuch  as 
Skinley  was  not  "  up  to  print,"  much  less  to  writing, 
the  remainder  of  the  papers  could  have  no  connec 
tion  with  the  bearer;  but  Somers  was  too  much 
impressed  by  the  proximity  of  the  dead  man,  and 
by  the  necessity  of  prudence  in  his  present  condi 
tion  to  examine  them,  and  he  put  them  in  his  pocket 
for  future  inspection. 

Slinging  the  rifle  upon  his  back,  and  placing  the 
other  weapons  in  his  belt,  he  mounted  his  horse. 
As  he  was  about  to  depart,  the  animal  which  had 
been  ridden  by  Skinley  came  walking  leisurely  up 
the  field,  as  if  in  search  of  his  lost  burden.  When 
he  saw  Somers,  he  went  up  to  him,  and  suffered 
himself  to  be  captured.  He  was  a  docile  creature, 
and  had  been  well  trained  by  his  late  master.  Lead 
ing  the  horse,  he  returned  to  the  house  of  Mr. 
Callicot,  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  that  gentleman, 
and  report  the  result  of  the  pursuit. 

He  found  the  house  in  commotion.  The  few  serv 
ants  which  the  Union  man  had  been  able  to  retain 
were  bustling  about  the  house,  but,  as  is  apt  to  be 
the  case  in  a  panic,  doing  absolutely  nothing.  Som 
ers  gave  the  horses  into  the  keeping  of  an  old  negro 
man,  and  having  deposited  the  guerilla's  weapons 
in  the  back  room,  entered  the  house.  He  found,  by 
the  direction  which  the  servants  took,  where  the 


184  Fighting  Joe. 

dead  or  wounded  man  lay ;  for  he  had  not  waited 
to  learn  his  fate  before  he  went  in  pursuit  of  the 
wretch  who  had  done  the  deed. 

He  entered  the  apartment,  and  was  glad  to  find 
that  his  worst  fears  had  not  been  realized.  Mr. 
Callicot  was  not  dead,  but  he  appeared  to  be 
severely  wounded.  His  eyes  were  open,  and  he  was 
gazing,  with  a  languid  look  of  affection,  at  his 
daughter  who  was  bending  over  the  bed. 

"  There's  one  of  them,"  he  faintly  articulated,  as 
Somers  entered  the  room. 

**  I  am  not  one  of  them,  Mr.  Callicot ;  on  the  con 
trary,  I  am  an  officer  of  the  Union  army,  on  the 
staff  of  the  major-general  commanding  the  eleventh 
and  twelfth  corps." 

u  Impossible !  "  groaned  the  sufferer. 

"  More  than  this,  I  have  shot  the  villain  who 
fired  at  you,"  continued  Somers. 

tt  He  certainly  took  no  part  with  the  other  man, 
father,"  interposed  the  daughter ;  "  and  I  heard  him 
order  his  companion  to  leave  the  house." 

"  If  you  are  still  in  doubt,  you  will  find  the  vil 
lain's  horse  in  your  stable,  and  all  his  weapons  in 
your  back  room." 

"  Go  and  see,  Sophia,"  said  the  old  man ;  M  for  we 
know  not  whom  to  trust." 

Somers  conducted  the  lady  to  the  back  room,  and 
exhibited  the  weapons ;  then  to  the  stable,  where 
the  negro  had  taken  the  horse. 

"  If  you  are  not  satisfied,  Miss  Callicot,  you  may 
send  one  of  your  servants  to  a  field  on  the  left 
of  the  road,  about  half  a  mile  from  here,  and  he 
will  find  the  body  of  the  guerilla, — for  such  he 
was." 

"  I  am  satisfied,  sir ;  for  I  noticed  the  horse  when 


Fighting  Joe.  185 

the  man  rode  into  the  yard,"  replied  the  lady. 
"  Why  did  you  not  protect  us  ?  " 

«'  I  fired  at  the  scoundrel  a  moment  after  he  dis 
charged  his  pistol  at  your  father  the  first  time ;  but 
the  smoke  in  the  room  spoiled  my  aim,  and  I  missed 
him.  I  also  fired  at  him  when  your  father  fell,  as 
you  must  have  noticed." 

"  I  heard  two  shots,  but  I  did  not  know  who  fired 
them." 

"  I  supposed  he  had  gone  when  he  left  the  house ; 
but  it  seems  he  went  round,  and  entered  again  by 
another  door.  I  did  not  think  the  ruffian  was  base 
enough  to  kill  an  old  man  like  your  father,  or  I 
would  have  shot  him  in  the  first  place.  I  did  not 
wish  to  do  so  in  your  presence." 

"  I  wish  you  had." 

"  Is  your  father  badly  wounded  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  how  bad  it  is ;  he  was  struck  in 
the  shoulder.  I  have  trembled  every  day  for  fear 
of  these  guerillas;  but  when  they  come  with  an 
officer,  my  father's  paper  always  saves  us  from 
harm." 

"  Have  you  sent  for  a  surgeon  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  We  have  no  horse  at  home,  and  the  surgeon 
lives  five  miles  from  us." 

"  Take  the  dead  man's  horse." 

«  Thank  you ;  I  will  send  a  man  at  once,"  replied 
Miss  Callicot. 

A  boy  was  immediately  despatched  on  Skinley's 
horse  for  a  doctor,  and  Somers  went  with  the  lady 
to  the  room  of  her  father.  The  young  officer  exam 
ined  the  wound,  and  ventured  to  assure  the  sufferer 
that  it  was  not  a  dangerous  one.  When  wounded 
himself,  he  had  seen  the  surgeons  operate,  and  he 
had  some  idea  of  the  methods  employed.  The  old 


1 86  Fighting  Joe. 

man  was  bleeding  freely ;  and  by  changing  his  posi 
tion  on  the  bed,  and  by  pressing  a  napkin  around 
the  wound,  he  checked  the  flow  of  blood. 

It  was  three  hours  before  the  surgeon  arrived. 
He  was  a  personal  friend  of  the  Union  man,  and 
came  with  all  haste  as  soon  as  the  boy  found  him. 
The  doctor  came  but  the  messenger  did  not  return ; 
and  Somers  concluded  that  the  horse  had  been  seen 
and  recognized  by  some  of  the  guerillas.  The  young 
officer  was  greatly  perplexed  in  regard  to  his  future 
movements ;  and  though  Miss  Callicot  offered,  and 
pressed  upon  him,  the  hospitalities  of  the  house,  he 
decided  to  depart  as  soon  as  the  doctor  had  assured 
him  that  the  wound  was  not  dangerous.  Leaving 
at  the  house  the  guerilla's  weapons,  which  he  ad 
vised  the  lady  to  conceal,  he  mounted  his  horse, 
and  rode  away  ;  but  what  to  do,  or  where  to  go,  he 
was  at  a  loss  to  determine.  All  he  wanted  now 
was,  to  find  De  Banyan,  and  hasten  to  the  head 
quarters  of  his  general. 

The  attack  upon  the  paymaster's  escort  was  to  be 
made  at  Tantallon  cross-roads,  or  in  that  direction ; 
but  it  was  not  prudent  for  him  to  be  seen  near  that 
locality,  after  what  had  happened,  and  he  decided 
to  return  to  the  nearest  military  post  on  the  rail 
road.  After  riding  a  couple  of  miles,  as  he  turned 
a  bend  in  the  road,  on  the  verge  of  a  wood,  he  sud 
denly  came  upon  Lynchman's  force,  which,  had 
halted  there. 


Fighting  Joe.  187 


CHAPTER  XXH. 

THE    GREENBACK    TEAIH. 

THE  guerillas  and  their  horses  stood  so  still  in  the 
road  that  Somers  had  not  suspected  their  presence. 
His  first  impulse  was  to  wheel  his  horse,  and  flee 
with  all  speed  from  this  dangerous  ground.  The 
fact  that  the  negro  boy,  who  had  been  sent  for  the 
doctor,  had  not  returned,  was  pretty  good  evidence 
that  he  had  been  captured  by  the  guerillas;  and 
their  presence  in  this  place  fully  confirmed  his 
fears. 

To  turn  and  run  away  would  be  sure  to  bring  a 
volley  from  their  carbines  upon  him,  and  to  advance 
was  to  throw  himself  into  the  very  jaws  of  the  lion ; 
but,  on  the  whole,  he  decided  that  it  was  less  perilous 
to  go  forward,  and  he  continued  on  his  way,  as  though 
no  shock  had  come  over  him.  The  negro  who  had 
been  captured  had  probably  told  his  story,  and  it 
would  be  a  very  difficult  matter  to  reconcile  the 
conflicting  statements  that  must  ensue. 

"  Why  are  you  here,  Somers  ?  "  demanded  Captain 
Lynchman,  in  an  excited  tone. 

"  Yankee  cavalry,"  replied  Somers,  glancing  sus 
piciously  behind  him. 

"  Where  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  where  they  are  now.  Skinley  was 
shot  by  a  Yankee  and  killed." 

•*  This  is  bad  business,"  said  Lynchman. 

u  No,  it  isn't ;  it  is  all  the  better  for  us,"  said  De 
Banyan,  stepping  forward  to  the  rescue. 


1 88  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Perhaps  it  is,  but  I  don't  see  it,"  added  the  cap- 
tain ;  and  truly  it  must  have  been  rather  difficult 
for  him  to  see. 

"  You  are  duller  than  usual,  captain,"  continued 
De  Banyan,  with  his  easy  assurance.  "  You  believe 
in  strategy,  and  look  troubled  at  a  difficulty  like 
this  ?  " 

"  Did  you  give  Skinley's  horse  to  that  nigger  ?  " 
demanded  Lynchman. 

"  Bah ! "  exclaimed  De  Banyan,  with  hearty  dis 
gust.  "  What  matter  whether  he  did  or  not  ?  Are 
you  going  to  settle  a  case  of  that  sort  now  ?  I  tell 
you  it  is  all  right." 

"What  shall  we  do?" 

"  Do  ?  "  sneered  the  major.  "  We  will  capture  the 
paymaster  at  Tantallon  cross-roads,  as  we  intended. 
We  are  not  going  to  be  thrown  off  the  track  by  a 
little  accident  of  this  kind." 

"  Of  course  not,"  replied  the  guerilla,  catching  the 
inspiration  of  his  apparently  bolder  companion. 

"  Leave  these  Yankees  to  me,"  continued  De  Ban 
yan.  "  I  will  have  them  ten  miles  from  here  within 
two  hours." 

"  Good !  "  murmured  several  of  the  guerillas. 

"  The  greenback  train  has  been  delayed,  and  we 
shall  have  time  to  bring  up  Sweetzer  yet.  I  want 
two  men  to  go  with  me.  I  will  take  Tippy  and 
Somers." 

"  What  do  you  want  of  them  ?"  demanded  Lynch- 
man. 

"Somers  shall  go  to  Ray  hold's  for  our  fellows 
there,  and  Tippy  shall  return  to  inform  you  when 
to  come  forward.  If  you  should  be  seen,  it  would 
spoil  the  whole  thing." 

The  guerilla  chief  consented  to  this  plan ;  and  De 


Fighting  Joe.  189 

Banyan,  followed  by  Somers  and  Tippy,  rode  off  at 
full  gallop.  The  major  did  not  seem  to  be  conscious 
that  he  had  very  cleverly  performed  the  part  he  had 
assumed  in  the  drama.  He  looked  just  as  determined 
as  though  he  intended  to  carry  out  the  program 
assigned  to  him  by  Lynchman. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do,  major  ? "  asked 
Somers,  when  they  had  ridden  about  half  a  mile. 

"  The  infernal  cutthroats ! "  exclaimed  he,  savagely. 
"I'm  going  to  capture  the  whole  crowd." 

"  But  you  have  no  force." 

"  I'll  have  one.    Tippy  !  "  said  he,  with  energy. 

"  Sir,"  replied  the  scout,  with  the  utmost  deference 
and  respect. 

«  Understand  my  purpose.  I  am  going  to  the 
stockade  where  the  paymaster  and  his  escort  are, 
and  where  I  requested  him  to  remain  until  he  heard 
from  me." 

"  Have  you  seen  him  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  I  have ;  he  has  sent  to  the  next  post  for  more 
men.  They  must  have  reached  him  by  this  time. 
Now,  Somers,  if  we  are  smart,  we  will  report  to  the 
general  before  night  with  the  paymaster,  and  these 
guerillas  as  prisoners.  We  have  got  things  now 
where  we  can  have  it  our  own  way,  and  it  will  be 
our  fault  if  we  don't  bag  the  whole  squad." 

"If  the  paymaster  has  a  hundred  men,  we  can 
take  them  at  once,"  said  Somers. 

"  I  propose  to  haul  in  the  whole  company — those 
at  Raybold's  as  well  as  those  with  Lynchman.  We 
have  no  time  to  lose,"  continued  the  major,  with 
increased  energy.  "  Somers,  you  must  go  to  Ray 
bold's,  and  deliver  the  message  given  you  by  the 
captain." 

«  I'm  willing,"  replied  Somers,  ^taking  from  his 


190  Fighting  Joe. 

pocket  the  papers  he  had  removed  from  the  body  of 
Skinley.  "  I  have  the  captain's  written  order  in  my 
hand." 

"  Good !  Kill  your  horse,  if  necessary ;  but  don't 
lose  an  instant  of  time.  Away  with  you !  " 

"  But  I  don't  know  the  road." 

De  Banyan  instructed  him  very  carefully  in 
regard  to  his  route. 

"  When  you  have  delivered  the  order,  look  out 
for  yourself,"  he  added,  as  Somers  put  spurs  to  his 
willing  horse,  and  dashed  away  to  execute  his  im 
portant  mission. 

"  Now,  Tippy,  in  one  hour  go  and  tell  Lynchman 
that  the  road  is  open  for  him,"  added  De  Banyan, 
as  he  took  the  hand  of  the  young  scout,  which  he 
pressed  with  warmth.  "  Boy,  be  true  to  your 
country  and  your  flag  from  this  time  henceforth 
and  forever ! " 

"  I  will,  I  will ! "  exclaimed  Tippy,  with  deep 
feeling,  as  he  wiped  away  the  tears,  which,  for  some 
unexplained  reason,  filled  his  eyes. 

De  Banyan,  apparently  as  deeply  moved  as  the 
young  man,  galloped  away  at  a  furious  pace.  Be 
yond  the  wood  he  turned  to  the  left,  crossing  the 
creek  and  the  railroad,  till  he  reached  another  road. 
This  point  was  Tantallon  cross-roads  ;  and  here  he 
turned  to  the  left  again,  and  was  now  moving 
directly  towards  the  stockade  in  which  he  had  left 
the  paymaster,  and  where  he  arrived  in  an  hour 
from  the  time  he  started.  In  fifteen  minutes  more 
a  squadron  of  cavalry,  collected  during  the  forenoon 
from  the  military  posts  in  the  vicinity,  was  moving 
down  towards  the  cross-roads. 

When  the  force  arrived  at  its  destination,  one 
half  of  it  was  posted  in  a  secure  place  by  the  rail- 


Fighting  Joe.  191 

road,  where  it  could  not  be  seen  by  the  guerillas  as 
they  advanced  to  the  rendezvous,  and  the  other  hall 
hi  the  vicinity  of  the  cross-roads.  Quite  as  soon  as 
they  were  expected  the  little  troop  of  Lynchman 
crossed  the  railroad,  and  moved  cautiously  towards 
the  point  at  which  they  expected  to  meet  the 
"  greenback  train."  But  no  sooner  had  they  passed 
the  railroad,  than  the  force  in  their  rear  took  the 
road  and  cut  off  their  retreat,  while  that  in  front 
advanced  upon  them.  For  a  moment  there  was  a 
clash  of  arms  ;  but  the  guerillas  were  borne  under 
and  captured  by  the  cavalry  without  the  loss  of  a 
man,  and  almost  without  a  scratch  on  either  side. 

The  prisoners  were  conducted  to  a  safe  place,  and 
the  cavalry  again  disposed  for  the  reception  of  the 
larger  force  expected  from  Ray  hold's.  The  guerillas 
were  intensely  astonished  at  the  sudden  and  unex 
pected  result  of  the  enterprise.  Captain  Lynchman, 
who  believed  in  strategy,  looked  exceedingly  foolish 
and  disconsolate.  When  the  prisoners  were  halted 
in  a  secure  position  he  happened  to  see  De  Banyan. 

"  How's  this  ?  "  said  he,  appealing  to  the  energetic 
major. 

"  How's  what  ?  "  asked  De  Banyan,  with  admir 
able  simplicity. 

"  You  have  made  a  blunder  somewhere,"  added 
Lynchman,  sheepishly. 

"  Not  at  all.  Everything  has  come  out  just  as  I 
intended  it  should." 

"  Then  you  are  a  traitor." 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  am  a  true  Union  man.  I  go 
for  the  Union  first,  and  Tennessee  next." 

"  Traitor !  "  growled  the  guerilla. 

"  See  here,  my  man;  you  believe  in  strategy — 
don't  you?" 


192  Fighting  Joe. 

«  I  do." 

"  So  do  I,"  replied  De  Banyan.  « I  think  you 
have  got  strategy  enough  to  last  you  till  the  end  of 
the  war." 

"  You  deceived  me,  then,"  added  Lynchman, 
bitterly. 

"  Deceived  you !  "  sneered  the  major.  "  Did  you 
think  I  would  throw  myself  into  your  arms,  and  let 
you  butcher  me  at  your  own  pleasure.  I  know 
what  you  guerillas  are — gorillas,  I  had  better  say. 
Deceived  you!  I  shouldn't  want  a  more  stupid 
fellow  than  you  are  to  work  upon.  You  have 
played  into  my  hand  all  the  way  through." 

"  What  is  to  be  done  with  us  ? "  asked  the  dis 
comfited  chief,  tamely. 

"  I  don't  know.  We  shall  march  you  to  head 
quarters  ;  but  as  a  man  of  your  importance  ought 
to  have  a  bigger  escort  than  this,  we  shall  add  the 
rest  of  your  gang  to  the  train." 

De  Banyan  walked  away,  mounted  his  horse,  and 
rode  down  to  the  cross-roads  again,  where  the 
greater  battle  was  soon  to  be  fought.  Tippy,  the 
scout,  who  had  disengaged  himself  from  his  com 
panions  at  the  beginning  of  the  affray,  was  directed 
to  keep  at  a  distance  from  the  strife. 

Somers  delivered  his  message  to  Sweetzer,  and 
the  guerillas  immediately  leaped  into  their  saddles. 
The  note  from  Lynchman  relieved  the  bearer  from 
all  suspicion,  and  the  lieutenant  only  questioned 
him  in  regard  to  the  nature  of  the  operations  in 
which  his  force  was  to  engage.  Somers  answered 
AS  suited  himself;  and,  finding  that  no  further 
notice  was  taken  of  him,  the  officers  and  men  being 
busily  occupied  in  preparing  for  their  excursion,  he 
contrived  to  detach  khimself  from  their  company. 


Fighting  Joe.  193 

Gaining  the  highway,  he  rode  at  a  leisurely  gait  till 
he  was  out  of  their  sight,  when  he  quickened  his 
pace,  and  reached  the  cross-roads  hi  advance  of  the 
guerillas.  He  was  warmly  welcomed  by  De 
Banyan ;  but  there  was  no  time  yet  for  long  stories, 
though  both  of  them  had  much  to  say. 

Sweetzer  and  his  men  crossed  the  railroad  with 
out  a  suspicion  that  they  were  plunging  into  a  fatal 
trap,  till  they  heard  the  clatter  of  horses'  feet  behind. 
The  cavalry  in  the  rear,  which  was  to  open  the  battle, 
dashed  upon  the  guerillas  with  a  round  of  Union 
cheers.  But  the  rebels  were  desperate  fellows. 
They  had  been  plundering,  murdering,  and  destroy 
ing,  without  mercy,  and  the  fear  of  a  righteous 
retribution  upon  their  heads  nerved  them  to  the  most 
determined  action,  and  they  fought  like  demons. 

They  were  hardly  engaged  before  the  cavalry  in 
front  rushed  with  headlong  speed  upon  the  entrapped 
foe.  It  was  such  an  opportunity  as  the  policy  of  the 
partisans  seldom  permitted  them  to  enjoy  ;  and  the 
Union  soldiers,  with  a  hearty  relish  for  the  work, 
went  into  the  fight  with  an  enthusiasm  which  could 
result  only  in  speedy  victory.  Then  ensued  a  brief 
but  tremendous  conflict,  in  which  the  guerillas  were 
thoroughly  and  completely  routed.  There  was  an 
awful  cutting  and  slashing  for  a  few  minutes.  The 
rebels  were  utterly  demolished ;  they  broke,  and 
attempted  to  flee  from  the  scene  of  wrath ;  but  not 
many  of  them  escaped. 

"  The  work  is  done,"  said  De  Banyan,  as  be  joined 
Somers  at  the  close  of  the  conflict. 

"  And  well  done,"  added  Somers,  as  he  returned 
his  sword  to  his  scabbard.  "I  think  the  general 
will  be  willing  to  excuse  our  delay  in  reporting." 

The  wounded  were  sent  back  to  the  military  post, 


194  Fighting  Joe. 

the  prisoners  secured,  and  the  "  greenback  train  " 
took  up  its  line  of  march  for  the  army. 

On  the  way,  De  Banyan,  Somers,  and  Tippy  kept 
together.  It  was  the  first  time  the  staff  officers  had 
found  an  opportunity  to  communicate  in  regard  to 
the  past.  Somers  knew  but  little  of  what  his  friend 
had  done ;  but  he  opened  the  way  for  an  explanation 
by  relating  his  own  adventures  with  Skinley. 

"  I  supposed  you  would  shoot  him  the  moment  you 
got  him  out  of  sight  of  his  cutthroat  companions,'* 
said  the  major. 

"  I  couldn't  shoot  him  down  in  cold  blood.  I  in 
tended  to  use  a  little  strategy,  when  the  right  time 
came,"  replied  Somers. 

"  You  are  too  sentimental  by  half.  If  he  had  been 
a  soldier  and  a  decent  man,  you  might  have  hesitated. 
He  was  nothing  but  a  cold-blooded  wretch,  a  cut 
throat  ;  you  ought  to  have  shot  him  without  wink 
ing  twice.  I  would  have  done  it." 

«'  I  couldn't  do  it.  But,  De  Banyan,  what  have 
you  been  doing  ?  " 

The  major  minutely  detailed  his  operations  dur 
ing  the  morning.  He  had  been  to  the  paymaster, 
proved  that  he  was  a  Union  man,  on  the  staff  of  a 
general,  and  exposed  the  plot  of  the  guerillas. 
Returning  to  them,  he  had  arrived  just  before  the 
capture  of  the  negro  boy  on  the  Skinley  horse,  and 
had  contrived  to  make  the  fellow  say  what  he 
desired,  in  part,  and  to  neutralize  what  tended  to 
inculpate  Somers. 

"One  question,  major,"  said  Somers,  when  De 
Banyan  finished :  «  Who  is  Tippy  ?  " 

tt  He  is  my  son." 


Fighting  Joe.  195 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

THE  BATTLE  IN  THE  CLOUDS. 

SOMEBS  had  been  greatly  mystified  by  the  singular 
conduct  of  Tippy,  the  scout,  and  quite  as  much  so 
by  that  of  De  Banyan  in  connection  with  the  young 
man.  He  remembered  to  have  heard  the  major  say, 
when  they  parted,  after  the  eventful  campaign  before 
Richmond,  that  he  had  a  son  and  it  now  appeared 
that  he  had  been  in  the  rebeJ  >ervice,  while  his  father 
was  actively  engaged  on  tb  other  side. 

Before  the  war  Tippy  J  id  been  the  confidential 
friend  and  companion  of  nis  father  to  an  extent  to 
which  parents  seldom  admit  their  sons.  He  was  an 
only  child,  and  between  them  there  had  been  a  bond 
of  sympathy,  which  nothing  but  the  total  breaking 
up  of  all  social  relations  could  effect.  The  father 
had  been  compelled  to  enter  the  rebel  army  sorely 
against  his  will,  and  at  the  first  opportunity  had  put 
himself  on  the  right  side.  In  doing  so  he  had  been 
separated  from  his  family,  hoping,  however,  to  meet 
his  wife  and  son  again  in  a  few  months  at  farthest. 
He  had  been  grievously  disappointed  in  this  respect, 
for  the  sweep  of  the  Union  army  had  not  been  so 
speedy  and  decided  as  he  had  anticipated ;  and  he 
had  been  obliged,  by  the  force  of  circumstances,  to 
leave  the  West  and  go  to  the  East. 

During  his  absence  his  wife  had  died ;  and  the 
son,  inheriting  the  talent  of  his  father,  had  taken 
service  in  the  rebel  ranks,  where  his  ability  as  a 


196  Fighting  Joe. 

scout  was  soon  discovered.  When  he  saw  his  father, 
he  had  no  will  of  his  own ;  whatever  the  parent 
was,  he  was.  Like  thousands  of  others  who  fought 
on  the  side  of  rebellion,  he  had  no  principle  in  the 
matter,  and  only  went  with  the  crowd.  He  was 
now  happily  restored  to  his  devoted  parent,  and 
fully  believed  that  whatever  cause  his  father  es 
poused  must  be  the  right  one.  The  boy's  middle 
name  was  Tipton,  after  a  Tennessee  politician,  who 
happened  to  be  in  the  ascendant  at  the  time  of  his 
birth ;  and  from  this  was  derived  the  pet  appellation 
by  which  he  was  known  among  the  rebels  and 
partisans. 

Somers  and  Tippy  were  immediately  the  best  of 
friends ;  and  during  he  day,  as  they  rode  along, 
the  young  Tennessean  isked  a  thousand  questions 
about  the  North,  about  t.  •>  home  and  the  associations 
of  his  companion ;  and  ii  is  quite  probable  that  he 
profited  by  the  information  imparted  in  the  answers 
to  the  questions. 

Before  night,  as  De  Banyan  had  promised,  our 
travelers  had  the  pleasure  of  reporting  to  "  Fighting 
Joe,"  at  Bridgeport,  and  of  receiving  a  hearty  wel 
come.  They  were  warmly  commended  for  the  work 
they  had  done  among  the  guerillas,  who  were  the 
pest  of  the  state,  the  continual  annoyance  of  the 
army's  communications,  and  a  nuisance  to  friend 
and  foe  among  the  families  of  the  region.  The 
general  conversed  freely  with  De  Banyan  and 
Somers,  and  immediately  assigned  them  to  duty  in 
their  respective  positions. 

"  Somers,  my  dear  fellow,  I  greet  you !  "  exclaimed 
Captain  Barkwood,  when  they  met. 

"Thank  you,  captain,"  replied  Somers,  warmly 
grasping  the  proffered  hand  of  the  engineer. 


Fighting  Joe.  197 

"  You  are  the  only  volunteer  I  have  met  who  was 
fit  to  be  a  regular." 

"  Fortunately,  I  am  one,"  added  Somers,  explain 
ing  his  position. 

"  I  congratulate  you.  I  hear  that  you  have  been 
fighting  guerillas." 

"  A  little." 

"I  am  sorry  you  have  a  taste  for  those  small 
squabbles." 

"  I  have  not ;  I  only  go  into  them  from  necessity. 
But  our  fight  with  the  guerillas  was  a  splendid  piece 
of  strategy.  I  will  tell  you  about  it." 

Somers  told  him,  and  the  engineer  was  satisfied, 
though  he  declared  that  he  was  too  much  of  a 
coward  to  have  any  relish  for  hand-to-hand  en 
counters. 

"  Well,  Captain  Barkwood,  how  is  the  general  ?  " 
asked  Somers,  when  the  relative  merits  of  brain  and 
muscle  had  been  duly  discussed. 

"  The  general !  He  is  a  diamond  among  precious 
stones,"  replied  Barkwood,  with  enthusiasm.  "If 
he  gets  a  chance  he  will  knock  the  backbone  out  of 
the  rebel  army  in  this  quarter.  By  the  way, 
Somers,  I  remember  the  general  when  he  was  in 
Mexico. 

"Were  you  there?" 

"I  was." 

"  You  don't  look  old  enough." 

"  I'm  forty.     I  remember  him  at  Chapultepec." 

"  I  was  there,"  added  De  Banyan ;  "  but  I  was  a 
private." 

"  He  fought  like  a  tiger  there,  as  he  did  every- 
where,  and  went  up  like  a  rocket  from  second 
lieutenant  to  lieutenant-colonel.  He  is  what  I  oall 
a  positive  man ;  he  does  his  own  thinking,  which, 


198  Fighting  Joe. 

unfortunately  for  him,  perhaps,  hi  some  instances, 
does  not  agree  with  the  thinking  of  others.  He  was 
with  Pillow,  Rains,  and  Ripley,  who  are  all  rebels 
now." 

"  But  the  general  left  the  army." 

"  Yes,  he  is  an  active  man  ;  he  couldn't  stand  the 
piping  times  of  peace  that  followed  the  Mexican 
war,  and,  resigning  his  commission,  went  to  Califor 
nia,  where  he  became  a  farmer.  This  didn't  agree 
very  well  with  his  constitution,  and  when  a  speck 
of  war  appeared  hi  1861,  he  hastened  to  Washington ; 
not  as  an  adventurer,  mind  you,  but  as  a  man  who 
believed  in  the  American  Union.  Somehow  the 
men  hi  authority  seemed  to  have  forgotten  about 
his  conduct  hi  Mexico ;  and  it  may  be  that  some  of 
his  positive  opinions  were  remembered,  and  he  did 
not  readily  procure  service. 

"Discouraged,  and  perhaps  disgusted,  with  his  ill 
success,  he  made  up  his  mind  to  return  to  his  farm 
on  the  Pacific.  Before  his  intended  departure  he 
paid  his  respects  to  President  Lincoln,  to  whom  he 
made  some  comments  on  the  battle  of  Bull  Run, 
which  induced  the  President  to  make  him  a  brigadier. 
That  was  the  luckiest  thing  for  the  general,  and  the 
luckiest  thing  for  the  country,  that  ever  came  out 
of  an  accident." 

"  That's  so ! "  exclaimed  De  Banyan,  with  em 
phasis.  "  I've  seen  him  in  a  great  many  fights ;  and 
I  say  he  has  no  superior  hi  the  army." 

"I'm  not  very  fond  of  comparisons  between 
generals ;  but  I  can  say  I  like  him  better  than  any 
other,"  added  Somers.  "  I  wish  generals  were  not 
so  sensitive." 

"Sensitive?    My  dear  Somers,  a  man  can  no 


Fighting  Joe.  199 

more  be  a  great  general  without  being  sensitive, 
than  he  can  be  a  parson  without  being  pious." 

"  That  may  be ;  but  I  think  that  some  of  the 
military  operations  of  the  war  have  failed  because 
the  commanding  general  in  charge  of  them  was  not 
fairly  supported,  owing  to  some  of  these  squabbles 
about  rank." 

"  That's  true ;  but  there's  a  great  difference  be 
tween  being  sensitive,  and  failing  to  obey  orders,  in 
spirit  as  well  as  to  the  letter.  *  Fighting  Joe '  never 
did  and  never  will  allow  his  sensitiveness  to  en 
danger  for  one  moment  the  success  of  our  arms," 
said  the  engineer,  warmly.  "  He  would  fight  under 
a  corporal  rather  than  lose  the  day,  any  time." 

"  I  know  that,"  answered  Somers ;  "  but  I  can't 
help  feeling  that  if  some  generals  had  been  less  sen 
sitive,  our  general  would  have  been  in  command  of 
a  large  army  to-day." 

"  A  positive  man  speaks  what  he  thinks ;  and  I 
doubt  not  '  Fighting  Joe '  has  often  offended  his 
superiors  by  his  candid  criticisms.  This  may  have 
affected  his  position,  but  it  cannot  rob  him  of  the 
glory  of  the  past.  Whatever  he  does,  and  wherever 
he  goes,  I'm  with  him  to  the  end,"  added  the 
engineer. 

"  So  am  I,"  said  De  Banyan. 

"  There  will  be  something  done  in  this  department 
very  soon,"  continued  Barkwood.  "The  heavy 
storms  have  rendered  the  roads  almost  impassable ; 
and  the  provisions  for  the  army  in  Chattanooga  have 
to  be  conveyed  in  wagons  about  fifty  miles.  The 
first  move  will  be  to  open  the  river  and  the  railroad 
between  this  point  and  Chattanooga." 

The  engineer  was  correct  in  his  supposition,  for  a 
few  days  later  General  Hazen's  brigade  descended 


2oo  Fighting  Joe. 

the  Tennessee  in  pontoon  boats,  intended  for  the 
erection  of  a  bridge  over  the  river  at  Brown's  Ferry, 
running  the  rebel  batteries  in  the  night,  and  reach 
ing  their  destination  in  safety.  The  Confederate 
force  under  General  Bragg  was  posted  on  the  south 
side  of  the  river,  holding  the  heights  known  as 
Raccoon  Mountain,  Lookout  Mountain,  and  Mission 
ary  Ridge.  Batteries  had  been  planted  on  these 
heights,  which  swept  the  river  and  the  valleys ;  and 
the  operation  of  dislodging  the  enemy  from  their 
strongholds  was  a  difficult  and  dangerous  one. 

A  pontoon  bridge  nine  hundred  feet  in  length 
was  built  on  the  river  at  Brown's  Ferry  in  five  hours, 
a  force  having  been  first  sent  over  the  river,  and  a 
position  captured  and  fortified  to  protect  the  opera 
tion.  The  eleventh  and  twelfth  corps  then  moved 
out  from  Bridgeport,  and  completed  the  communi 
cation  between  that  place  and  the  pontoon  bridge, 
thus  effecting  a  junction  with  the  army  in  Chatta 
nooga.  A  steamboat,  built  by  a  company  of  engi 
neers,  and  another  captured  from  the  enemy,  con 
veyed  provision,  one  above  and  the  other  below  the 
pontoon  bridge,  to  the  beleaguered  town.  This  vital 
question  being  settled,  the  place  was  fortified  so  that 
it  could  be  held  by  a  small  force ;  and  the  main 
army  then  commenced  the  work  of  relieving  East 
Tennessee  from  the  presence  of  the  rebels,  which 
was  fully  accomplished  in  spite  of  the  active  move 
ment  of  the  enemy  to  prevent  it. 

Our  volume  is  not  a  history,  and  we  do  not  pur 
pose  to  narrate  in  detail  the  movements  of  the  three 
armies,  which  had  been  united  under  General  Grant. 
The  rebels  were  whipped  in  every  direction,  foiled 
and  defeated  in  all  their  plans,  and  the  Union  army 
continued  on  its  march  to  Atlanta.  "  Fighting  Joe  " 


Fighting  Joe.  201 

bore  an  important  part  in  these  operations,  and  was 
conspicuous  at  Lookout  Mountain,  Resaca,  and  be 
fore  Atlanta.  He  was  skilful  and  brave,  energetic 
and  devoted  in  this  campaign,  as  he  had  been  before. 
He  was  faithful  to  his  duty,  until,  on  the  death  of 
General  McPherson,  he  was  compelled  to  ask  to  be 
relieved.  With  this  summary  of  the  events  at  the 
seat  of  war  in  the  South,  we  return  to  Captain 
Somers. 

The  general's  command,  having  opened  the  com 
munication  with  Chattanooga,  marched  up  Lookout 
Valley.  "  Fighting  Joe  "  was  there  for  a  purpose. 
The  rugged  steeps  of  the  mountain  bristled  with 
rebel  cannon,  and  his  army  was  exposed  to  a  sharp 
fire  as  it  moved  on  its  way.  The  general  was  in  the 
midst  of  it,  and  assured  the  troops  that  the  fire  could 
not  harm  them.  His  conduct  had  the  most  inspiring 
effect  upon  the  men. 

When  the  head  of  the  column  approached  the 
vicinity  of  the  railroad  bridge,  near  Wauhatchie,  the 
rebel  infantry  opened  upon  it,  being  posted  in  a 
dense  forest,  where  their  number  could  not  be  de 
termined.  A  brigade  was  thrown  out  to  flank  the 
position,  upon  which  the  enemy  precipitately  fled 
over  the  creek,  burning  the  bridge  behind  them. 
The  column  moved  on,  and  halted  for  the  night  in 
the  valley. 

At  midnight  General  Geary's  division  was  savagely 
attacked,  and  presently  the  gloom  of  the  valley  was 
lighted  up  by  the  flame  of  battle ;  cannon  and 
musketry  blazed  from  the  summits  of  the  mountain, 
but  the  men  fought  with  the  most  determined  zeal. 
The  general  was  in  his  saddle,  and  his  staff  were 
hurled  away  like  arrows  from  a  bow,  to  strengthen 
the  weak  parts  of  the  line.  A  brigade  was  de- 


202  Fighting  Joe. 

spatched  to  the  assistance  of  Geary,  who  was  hard 
pressed ;  but  the  attack  was  promptly  repelled. 

Somers  was  then  sent  off  with  an  order  to  the 
second  brigade  to  storm  the  heights  and  carry  them ; 
and  he  was  directed  to  accompany  the  force  and  re 
port  progress  to  the  general.  The  hill  was  very 
steep  and  rugged,  and  in  many  places  the  rocks 
presented  the  appearance  of  palisades.  It  was 
covered  with  wood  and  underbrush,  and  it  would 
not  have  been  an  easy  thing  to  climb  it  with  a  guide 
in  broad  daylight ;  but  the  general  had  sent  these 
intrepid  fellows  to  scale  its  jagged  steeps  in  the 
middle  of  the  night.  It  was  cloudy,  and  the  moon 
shed  an  uncertain  light  on  the  scene. 

To  Somers  there  was  a  savor  of  home  in  the  en 
terprise,  for  the  thirty- third  Massachusetts  was  one 
of  the  two  regiments  which  formed  the  advance  in 
this  perilous  movement ;  the  other  was  the  seventy- 
third  Ohio,  both  numbering  only  four  hundred  men. 
On  dashed  the  intrepid  soldiers,  climbing  up  the 
dangerous  steeps,  as  though  all  of  them  had  been 
mountaineers — on,  till  they  penetrated  the  clouds, 
while  the  gloom  was  lighted  up  by  the  glare  of  the 
sheets  of  flame  from  two  thousand  rebel  muskets. 
There  in  the  clouds,  at  midnight,  was  fought  and 
won  this  remarkable  battle.  The  crests  of  the  hills 
were  carried  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet,  and  the 
gallant  thirty-third  left  one  third  of  its  number 
killed  and  wounded  on  the  ground ;  but  the  victory 
was  complete,  and  Captain  Somers  hastened  to  re 
port  the  result  to  the  general. 


Fighting  Joe.  203 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

PEACH-TREE    CREEK. 

DURING  the  night  all  the  rebels  evacuated  Look 
out  Mountain,  and  retreated  upon  the  main  army, 
posted  at  the  eastward  of  them.  The  storming  of 
the  heights  was  part  of  the  great  battle  of  Chatta 
nooga,  directed  by  General  Grant  with  the  most 
consummate  skill,  and  carried  out  by  his  subor 
dinates  with  a  zeal  and  energy  which  insured  a 
great  and  decisive  victory.  Chattanooga  was  ours ; 
East  Tennessee  was  purged  of  the  rebels  who  had 
been  persecuting  the  devoted  loyalists  from  the  be 
ginning  of  the  war  ;  and  with  these  events  substan 
tially  closed  the  campaign  of  1863. 

Our  limited  space  compels  us  to  pass  over  the 
time  from  this  period  to  the  July  of  the  next  year. 
Somers  and  De  Banyan  still  held  their  positions  on 
the  staff  of  the  general,  spending  the  winter  in  the 
vicinity  of  Chattanooga.  There  were  a  great  many 
letters  passed  between  the  young  captain  and  his 
friends,  and  all  of  them  from  him  were  not  directed 
to  Pinchbrook.  Between  himself  and  Lilian  a  most 
excellent  understanding  still  subsisted. 

In  the  reorganization  of  the  army,  which  followed 
the  well-deserved  promotion  of  Grant  to  the  rank  of 
lieutenant-general,  "Fighting  Joe"  was  placed  in 


204  Fighting  Joe. 

command  of  the  twentieth  corps ;  and  in  Sherman's 
bloody  and  decisive  advance  to  Atlanta,  he  was  one 
of  the  central  figures  in  the  picture.  He  was  the 
idol  of  his  corps,  as  he  had  been  in  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac.  His  men  loved  and  trusted  him,  and  he 
never  disappointed  them.  He  was  alwr.ys  in  the 
thickest  of  the  danger,  to  support  and  to  cheer 
them. 

Everything  went  wrong  with  the  rebels.  John 
ston,  beaten  and  flanked  time  and  again,  fell  back, 
until  Atlanta,  the  objective  point  of  Sherman,  was 
reached,  where  he  was  superseded  by  Hood,  who 
was  eminently  a  fighting  man,  and  was  expected  to 
retrieve  the  failing  fortunes  of  the  Confederacy. 
On  the  20th  of  July  was  fought  the  battle  of  Peach- 
Tree  Creek,  which  was  a  desperate  attempt  on  the 
part  of  the  newly-appointed  rebel  commander  to  re 
deem  the  disasters  of  the  past.  The  attack  was 
made  against  a  weak  place  in  the  line,  where  there 
was  a  large  gap  between  the  divisions  of  Geary  and 
Williams. 

Into  this  gap  Hood  hurled  his  compact  column ; 
who,  inspired  with  a  hope  that  their  new  leader 
would  turn  the  tide  of  battle  setting  so  strongly 
against  the  rebels,  fought  with  unwonted  despera 
tion.  They  poured,  in  solid  masses,  through  the 
open  space,  and  fell  upon  the  boys  of  the  twentieth 
corps  with  fiendish » valor.  For  a  moment  they 
shook — but  "  Fighting  Joe  il  flashed  before  them  like 


Fighting  Joe.  205 

a  meteor ;  his  full  tones  were  heard  as  buoyant  as 
in  the  hour  of  victory,  and  the  soldiers  gathered 
themselves  up  under  this  potent  inspiration,  and 
bravely  faced  the  impetuous  foe.  From  both  sides 
of  the  gap,  into  which  the  rebels  had  wedged  them 
selves,  deadly  volleys  of  musketry  were  poured  in 
upon  them.  They  were  mowed  down  like  ripe  grain 
before  the  scythe.  They  bit  the  dust  in  hundreds ; 
but  the  survivors  maintained  the  conflict. 

Still  the  commander  of  the  twentieth  corps  dashed 
along  the  line,  and  everywhere  restored  the  breaking 
column.  His  voice  was  a  charm  on  that  day,  and 
more  than  any  other  of  the  war  in  which  he  had 
been  engaged,  this  was  his  battle;  for,  with  his 
voice,  his  eye,  and  his  commanding  presence,  he 
banished  panic,  and  wrested  victory  from  the  arms 
of  defeat.  The  assault  was  triumphantly  repelled ; 
and  doubtless  the  rebels  believed  that  the  Fabian 
policy  of  Johnston  was  preferable  to  the  bloody  and 
bootless  desperation  of  Hood. 

The  battle  was  won  ;  and  many  and  earnest  were 
the  congratulations  exchanged  among  officers  and 
soldiers  after  the  bloody  affair.  De  Banyan  and 
Somers  had  been  particularly  active,  not  only  in 
bearing  orders,  but  in  rallying  the  troops ;  and  the 
general  personally  thanked  them  for  their  devotion  : 
at  the  same  time  the  aide-de-camp  was  directed  to 
convey  information  of  the  result  to  a  general  whose 
position  might  be  affected  by  it. 


206  Fighting  Joe. 

Somers  rode  off,  but  had  gone  only  a  short  dis 
tance  before  his  friend  dashed  up  to  his  side,  and 
pointed  out  to  him  a  piece  of  woods  on  his  route, 
where  a  squad  of  the  enemy's  cavalry  had  been  seen, 
and  entreated  him  to  be  exceedingly  cautious. 

"  I'm  always  cautious,  major,"  laughed  Somers. 

"  I  know  you  are,  my  boy ;  but  you  might  not 
have  known  there  was  any  danger  in  that  quarter." 

"  I  will  avoid  the  woods,  if  I  can." 

"You  can,  by  going  over  that  low  place  at  the 
right  of  the  creek,"  added  De  Banyan.  "  I  have  a 
message  to  deliver  in  that  direction  myself." 

They  rode  on,  and  parted  a  short  distance  from 
the  creek.  Somers  proceeded  to  his  destination,  and 
having  accomplished  his  mission,  started  on  the  re 
turn.  When  he  reached  the  point  nearest  to  the 
creek,  his  attention  was  attracted  by  a  riderless 
horse,  feeding  on  the  shrubs  that  covered  the  ground. 
A  nearer, approach  to  the  animal  assured  him  it  was 
De  Banyan's  horse ;  and  his  blood  froze  with  fear 
as  he  considered  the  meaning  of  this  circumstance. 
His  friend  had  evidently  been  shot,  and  had  fallen 
from  his  horse ;  but  perhaps  he  was  not  dead,  and 
Somers  proceeded  to  search  for  the  major. 

As  he  rode  forward,  almost  overcome  by  the  sud 
denness  of  the  shock  which  had  fallen  upon  him, 
the  sharp  crack  of  a  rifle  roused  him  from  his 
meditation,  and  a  bullet  whistled  uncomfortably 
near  his  head,  He  drew  his  revolver,  and  discovered 


Fighting  Joe.  207 

half  a  dozen  rebels  in  front  of  him.  Wheeling  his 
horse  on  the  instant,  he  attempted  to  escape  in 
the  opposite  direction.  This  act  drew  upon  him  the 
fire  of  the  party,  and  though  he  was  not  hit,  his 
horse  dropped  upon  the  ground,  shot  through  the 
head.  As  the  faithful  animal  fell,  the  leg  of  the 
rider  became  entangled  under  his  body,  and  he  was 
held  fast. 

"  How  are  you,  Blueback  ?  "  said  one  of  the  rebels, 
as  they  rushed  forward  and  seized  him,  disarming 
him  before  they  released  him  from  his  uncomfortable 
position. 

"How  are  you,  Grayback  ?  "  replied  Somers,  call 
ing  his  philosophy  to  his  aid  in  this  trying  moment. 

« Is  yer  health  good,  Yank  ?  " 

"First  rate,  I  thank  you,  Reb,"  answered  Somers, 
as  he  disengaged  his  foot  from  the  stirrup  beneath 
the  horse.  "  How's  yours  ?  " 

"  I  cal'late  you  are  better  ter  keep  than  yer  are 
to  kill." 

"  That's  a  sensible  idea  on  your  part." 

"May  be  it  is.  What  yer  got  in  your  pockets, 
Yank?" 

"Not  much;  the  paymaster  hasn't  been  round 
lately." 

"  Let's  see." 

"  You  rebs  don't  take  greenbacks — do  you  ? " 
asked  Somers,  as  he  pulled  out  his  pocket-book. 

"  I  bet  we  do — take  anything  we  can  get." 


2o8  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Well,  you  won't  get  much  out  of  me.  There's 
my  pocket-book ;  it's  rather  flat ;  an  elephant 
stepped  on  it  the  other  day." 

There  was  about  ten  dollars  in  legal  tender  cur 
rency  and  fractional  bills  in  the  pocket-book,  which 
the  rebels  thankfully  accepted. 

"  What  else  yer  got  ?  "  demanded  the  spokesman 
of  the  squad. 

"  What  else  do  you  want  ?  When  I  meet  a  friend 
in  distress,  I  like  to  do  the  handsome  thing  by 
him." 

"I  reckon  we're  in  distress,  and  we'll  take  any 
thing  yer  got  to  give.  Got  the  time  of  day  about 
yer  ?  " 

Somers  gave  up  his  silver  watch. 

"  That's  everything  I  have  about  me  of  any 
value,"  he  added,  hoping  these  sacrifices  would 
satisfy  the  rapacity  of  his  captors. 

"  Dunno,  Yank ;  let's  see,"  added  the  rebel,  with 
a  grin.  "  Turn  out  yer  pockets." 

Somers  took  from  the  breast  pocket  of  his  coat 
the  Testament  which  his  mother  had  given  him, 
and  which  had  been  his  constant  companion  in  all 
campaigns.  It  contained  several  pictures  of  the 
loved  ones  at  home,  including,  of  course,  one  of 
Lillian  Ashford. 

"  You  don't  want  this  ?  "  said  he,  as  he  pulled  the 
Testament,  wrapped  up  in  oiled  silk,  from  his 
pocket,  and  unrolled  it  before  them. 


Fighting  Joe.  209 

"  I  cal'late  you  Yanks  don't  hev  no  use  for  this 
book,"  replied  the  spokesman,  as  he  took  the  cher 
ished  gift. 

"Won't  you  leave  me  that?"  asked  Somers. 
"My  mother  gave  it  to  me,  and  it  contains  the 
photographs  of  my  friends  at  home." 

"Not  if  I  knows  it,  Yank,"  replied  the  man, 
coarsely.  "  This  is  a  warm  day — ain't  it,  Yank  ?  " 

"  Rather  warm." 

"  May  be  that  coat's  too  hot  for  yer  ?  " 

"  I  think  I  can  endure  it  very  well." 

"  I'm  feered  it  will  make  yer  sick  if  yer  wear  it 
any  longer.  Jest  take  it  off,  Yank.  It  was  made 
for  a  better  man  'n  you  be." 

Somers  complied,  simply  because  resistance  was 
vain. 

"  What  number  of  boots  do  you  wear,  Yank  ?  " 
continued  the  rebel,  glancing  at  his  prisoner's  feet. 

"Well,  I  generally  wear  two  of  them,"  replied 
Somers,  facetiously. 

"  I  reckon  yer  won't  wear  so  many  as  that  much 
longer.  Don't  yer  think  them  boots  would  fit  me  ?  " 

"I'm  afraid  they  are  too  small  for  you,"  said 
Somers,  disgusted  with  the  conduct  of  his  captors. 

"  I  reckon  they'll  jest  fit  me." 

"  Come,  Turkin,  quit  now.  I'll  be  dog-on'd  ef  we 
don't  git  captered  ourselves,  ef  you  keep  on  parlatin' 
with  the  carri'n  any  longer.  Fotch  him  along,  and 
we'll  measure  the  boots  bime-by." 


2io  Fighting  Joe. 

As  this  was  eminently  prudent  advice  under  the 
circumstances,  Turkin  decided  to  follow  it.  One  of 
the  party  took  the  saddle  and  bridle  from  the  dead 
animal,  while  another  caught  De  Banyan's  horse. 
The  unfortunate  event  took  place  within  fifty  rods 
of  the  line  of  the  twentieth  corps,  and  near  the  spot 
where  the  recent  battle  had  raged  fiercest.  The 
ground  was  directly  in  front  of  the  army,  and  it  was 
an  unparalleled  piece  of  impudence  for  the  rebels  to 
come  so  near  on  such  an  expedition.  With  the  ex 
ception  of  the  piece  of  woods,  the  ground  was  open, 
though  Somers  was  captured  behind  a  ridge,  which 
hid  the  marauders  from  the  view  of  the  sentinels. 

"  Now,  Yank,  we'll  march,"  said  Turkin,  who, 
though  he  wore  no  badge  of  his  rank,  appeared  to 
be  the  sergeant  or  corporal  commanding  the  squad. 
"  Be  you  ready  ?  " 

"  Well,  no,  I'm  not  ready ;  but  as  you  fellows 
have  such  an  insinuating  way  with  you,  I  suppose 
I  shall  have  to  go,"  replied  Somers,  glancing  in  the 
direction  of  the  Union  line. 

"  You  guessed  about  right  that  time,  Yank. 
'Tain't  no  use  to  look  over  yender.  If  yer  don't 
walk  right  along,  jest  like  a  Christian,  I'd  jest  as  lief 
shoot  yer  as  not." 

"  Don't  trouble  yourself,  Reb ;  I'm  with  you.  But 
I'm  not  much  used  to  walking  without  boots,  of 
Imte  years,  and  if  you  take  my  boots  I  may  make 
hard  work  of  it." 


Fighting  Joe.  211 

"  No,  yer  won't ;  if  yer  do,  I'll  save  yer  the  trouble 
of  walking  any  further." 

"  No  trouble  at  all,"  added  Somers,  who,  in  spite 
of  his  apparently  easy  bearing,  was  in  momentary 
fear  of  being  shot  by  the  ruffians  in  charge  of  him. 

"  What's  yer  name  ?  "  demanded  Turkin,  abruptly, 
as  they  moved  towards  the  wood,  beyond  which 
flowed  Peach-tree  Creek. 

"  Thomas  Somers." 

«  What  d'yer  b'long  ter  ?  " 

"  To  the  army." 

"  See  here,  Yank ;  I  asked  yer  a  civ'l  question ;  if 
yer  don't  give  me  a  civ'l  answer,  dog  scotch  me  if  I 
don't  give  yer  pineapple  soup  for  supper." 

By  pineapple  soup  Somers  understood  him  to 
mean  a  minie  ball,  deducing  this  conclusion  from 
the  resemblance  of  this  messenger  of  death  to  the 
fruit  mentioned.  The  rebel  seemed  suddenly  to 
have  changed  his  humor,  and  the  captive  found 
that  it  was  not  safe  to  give  indirect  answers  ;  so  he 
told  who  and  what  he  was  in  full,  without  any 
equivocation. 

"  Can  you  tell  me  what  became  of  the  owner  of 
that  horse  ?  "  said  Somers,  pointing  to  the  animal, 
led  by  one  of  the  rebels ;  but  he  did  not  venture  to 
put  the  question  to  Turkin. 

"  May  be  I  can  ;  but  may  be  I  won't,"  replied  the 
man,  in  surly  tones. 

"Was  he  killed?" 


212  Fighting  Joe. 

"  If  he  was,  he  was ;  if  he  wasn't,  he  wasn't." 
Somers  could  obtain  no  information  on  this  sub- 
ject,  and  he  feared  the  worst. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

THE    MONKEY    AND    THE    CAT'S-PAW. 

NOTWITHSTANDING  his  own  misfortunes,  Somers 
could  not  help  thinking  of  his  friend  De  Banyan, 
whom  he  regarded  as  an  elder  brother.  They  had 
endured  much  suffering,  and  passed  through  many 
perils  together,  and  the  bond  of  union  between  them 
was  very  strong.  The  riderless  horse  indicated  that 
he  had  been  killed.  The  rebels  had  fired  upon 
Somers  before  they  summoned  him  to  surrender, 
and  probably  a  shot  aimed  at  De  Banyan  had  been 
more  unfortunate.  It  was  very  sad  for  Somers  to 
think  of  his  noble  companion,  shot  down  by  an  un 
seen  foe  ;  but  he  could  hardly  cherish  a  hope  that 
he  was  still  alive.  It  would  have  been  better  for 
him  to  fall  in  the  front  of  battle,  where  he  had  so 
often  distinguished  himself. 

It  was  hard  to  give  him  up ;  yet  all  the  probabil 
ities  were,  that  he  had  been  killed,  and  that  his 
body  lay  unnoticed  and  unhonored  on  the  spot 
where  he  had  fallen.  Somers  was  a  prisoner  him 
self,  and  had  been  plundered  even  of  the  most  nec 
essary  articles  of  wearing  apparel,  and  subjected 


Fighting  Joe.  213 

to  needless  insult  and  brutality.  The  condition  of 
the  Union  prisoners  at  Richmond,  Andersonville, 
and  Salisbury  was  too  well  known  to  him  to  render 
the  prospect  before  him  even  tolerable.  But  a  de 
sponding  spirit  would  only  aggravate  his  miseries, 
and  he  determined  to  submit  to  his  fate  with  patient 
resignation.  He  felt  that  he  was  in  the  keeping  of 
the  good  Father,  who  doeth  all  things  well ;  and  in 
His  appointed  time  he  would  be  rescued  from  peril 
and  restored  to  his  friends ;  or,  if  it  was  the  will  of 
Heaven  that  he  should  lay  down  his  life  in  grief 
and  misery  for  the  cause  he  had  chosen  to  serve,  he 
would  try  to  be  faithful  and  patient  unto  the  bitter 
end. 

The  rebels  conducted  him  through  the  woods  to 
the  creek,  which  they  forded,  and  continued  on 
their  way  till  they  reached  a  grove,  where  it  now 
appeared  that  they  had  picketed  their  horses.  It 
was  also  evident  to  the  unfortunate  prisoner  that 
his  captors  were  not  regular  cavalrymen,  but 
guerillas,  who  hung  on  the  flanks  of  the  army  to 
rob  the  wounded,  plunder  the  dead,  capture  strag 
glers  worth  the  trouble,  and  gather  up  the  spoils  of 
battle.  When  this  was  apparent  to  Somers,  from 
the  words  and  the  actions  of  the  wretches,  he  felt 
that  he  had  reason  to  be  thankfnl  that  they  had  not 
murdered  him,  as  they  probably  had  his  friend 
His  life  had  been  spared,  but  this  new  revelation  of 
the  character  of  his  captors  suggested  a  doubt 


214  rigntmg  joe. 

whether  death  was  not  preferable  to  captivity  in 
the  hands  of  such  miscreants.  At  the  grove  the 
men  halted. 

"  Now,  cap'n,  off  with  them  boots !  "  said  Turkin, 
in  savage  tones. 

Somers  felt  that  he  had  not  a  moment's  lease  of 
life  secured  to  him,  and  he  promptly  complied  with 
the  unreasonable  demand  of  the  guerilla. 

"  Who's  gwine  to  hev  them  boots  ? "  suggested 
one  of  the  gang. 

"  The  man  as  they  fits,"  replied  Turkin,  who  pro 
ceeded  at  once  to  try  them  on. 

"  No,  sir !  I'll  be  dog-on'd  if  anything  of  that 
sort  shall  be  did  ! "  protested  the  other. 

"  Well,  Gragg,  what's  the  use  of  them  boots  to 
you  ?  You  couldn't  put  'em  outside  yer  feet,  more'n 
yer  could  crawl  inter  the  barrel  of  yer  shooter." 

"  May  be  I  couldn't ;  but  them  boots  is  wuth 
more  to  you  than  the  boss.  Draw  lots  fur  'em." 

The  guerillas  debated  this  question  for  some 
time,  and  with  so  much  acrimony  that  Somers  ven 
tured  to  hope  they  would  resort  to  knives  and 
bullets  in  the  adjustment  of  the  quarrel,  and  thus 
afford  him  an  opportunity  to  profit  by  the  discus 
sion.  But  it  was  finally  agreed  to  value  the  prop 
erty,  and  make  an  equal  division  of  it.  Turkin 
could  not  get  the  boots  on  ;  whereat  he  was  greatly 
enraged,  and  looked  at  Somers  as  though  he  in 
tended  to  annihilate  him  for  not  having  a  larger 


Fighting  Joe.  215 

foot.  A  young  fellow  of  the  party  succeeded  in 
getting  them  on,  and  they  were  apportioned  to  him. 
It  was  pleasant  to  think  that  he  was  dooming  him- 
self  to  a  great  deal  of  misery,  by  his  apparent  good 
fortune ;  for,  if  he  had  corns,  the  boots  would  be 
agony  to  him ;  if  not,  they  would  be  tight  enough 
to  raise  a  crop  of  the  tormentors  in  a  very  brief 
period.  If  through  tribulation  we  are  brought  to 
the  truth,  it  is  to  be  hoped  that  the  sufferings  of  the 
young  guerilla  brought  him  to  a  belief  that "  honesty 
is  the  best  policy,"  though  this  is  not  the  highest 
rule  of  morality. 

Each  of  the  marauders  was  supplied  with  a  horse, 
and  apparently  to  save  the  trouble  of  leading  him, 
rather  than  for  the  comfort  of  the  prisoner,  Somers 
was  ordered  to  ride  the  animal  which  had  belonged 
to  De  Banyan.  The  party  were  loaded  with  plunder, 
taken  from  the  dead  and  wounded  of  both  armies, 
as  Somers  judged  from  the  appearance  of  the  articles. 
They  moved  in  the  direction  of  the  rebel  camps, 
and  in  a  short  time  they  had  passed  beyond  the 
reach  of  danger  from  the  Union  army. 

"  Gragg,  what  we  gwine  to  do  with  this  feller  ?  " 
said  Turkin,  as  he  pointed  to  the  prisoner.  "  We 
don't  want  him." 

"  Knock  him  on  the  head,  and  leave  him  here," 
replied  the  benevolent  Gragg. 

"  I  don't  keer,"  added  Turkin,  as  he  rubbed  his 
matted  hair  beneath  his  hat,  as  if  to  stimulate  a  half 


216  Fighting  Joe. 

developed  idea  which  was  struggling  for  existence 
iu  his  brain. 

Somers  did  care :  it  would  make  considerable 
difference  to  him.  He  had  patiently  submitted  to 
the  policy  of  his  captors  in  order  to  save  his  life ; 
but  upon  the  question  of  murdering  him  in  cold 
blood,  he  felt  that  he  had  something  to  say.  If 
resorting  to  desperate  measures  would  afford  the 
slightest  hope  of  escape,  he  was  ready  to  accept  the 
issue.  There  were  seven  of  the  guerillas,  and  resist 
ance  was  almost  hopeless,  yet  not  entirely  so,  for 
there  was  a  single  favorable  circumstance  to  aid 
him. 

As  the  prisoner  rode  along  between  Turkin  and 
Gragg,  he  happened  to  discover  that  the  holsters  of 
De  Banyan's  horse  still  contained  the  pistols  of  his 
friend.  They  were  two  navy  revolvers,  which  the 
guerillas  had  neglected  to  secure.  With  these  for 
midable  weapons  Somers  believed  that  he  could 
make  a  tolerably  good  fight,  though  such  a  course 
would  be  madness  on  his  part,  unless  he  was  reduced 
to  the  most  desperate  extremity,  when  death  was 
certain  if  he  did  not  resort  to  it. 

"  We  don't  want  ter  be  bothered  with  this  carri'n," 
continued  the  philanthropic  Gragg. 

"  I  was  thinkin',"  said  Turkin. 

"  Was  yer  ?  "  demanded  Gragg,  as  the  thinker  did 
not  develop  the  result  of  his  meditations.  "  What 
was  yer  thinkin'  ?  " 


Fighting  Joe.  217 

«*  Yer  know  what  happened  yesterday  ?  " 

Gragg  did  know,  and  as  it  appeared  from  their 
conversation,  Colonel  Grayhame,  of  the  Confederate 
cavalry,  had  threatened  to  hang  the  whole  of  the 
gang  for  some  irregular  proceedings  among  the 
rebel  wounded. 

"  The  kun'l's  down  on  us,  Gragg,"  added  the 
politic  Turkin. 

« I  don't  keer." 

"He'll  spile  our  prospects.  We  kin  make  him 
good  natered  by  givin'  him  a  young  scrub  of  a 
Yankee  officer  like  this." 

"  I  don't  keer." 

"It  won't  cost  nothin'.  We  don't  want  the  young 
cub ;  and  he'll  think  we're  doin'  sunthin'  for  the 
cause." 

"  He'll  make  yer  give  up  the  boots  and  the  coat," 
suggested  the  prudent  Gragg. 

"  You  bet  he  won't ! "  replied  Turkin,  positively. 
"  The  feller  is  a  staff  officer,  belongin'  to  one  of  the 
big  Yankee  gin'rals ;  and  the  kun'l  will  be  glad  to 
git  him." 

"  But  the  coat  and  the  boots,  the  watch  and  the 
money  ?  The  kun'l's  foolish  about  sech  things.  He 
don't  take  'em  from  the  Yanks." 

It  was  finally  decided  to  say  that  the  prisoner  had 
been  robbed  of  these  articles  before  they  captured 
him,  and  to  deliver  the  captive  to  the  colonel,  as  a 
conciliatory  offering.  Somers  was  much  relieved 


218  Fighting  Joe. 

when  this  decision  was  reached,  for  it  was  some 
satisfaction  to  be  handed  over  to  an  officer  who  was 
a  gentleman,  and  had  some  regard  for  the  comfort 
of  his  prisoners. 

When  the  guerillas  arrived  at  the  spot  where  the 
camp  of  Colonel  Grayhame  had  been  on  the  previous 
day,  their  plans  were  entirely  changed  by  learning 
that  the  cavalry  under  his  command  had  been  or 
dered  away  to  look  after  the  Union  force,  sent  down 
to  destroy  the  West  Point  Railroad ;  not  that  this 
information  affected  their  purposes,  but  because  it 
suggested  a  field  for  the  better  prosecution  of  their 
irregular  work.  Somers  heard  them  discuss  the 
matter ;  and  he  found  that  they  believed  the  Union 
cavalry  would  burn  and  plunder  public  and  private 
property,  without  discrimination,  wherever  they 
went.  Their  presence  would  create  a  panic  ;  houses 
would  be  abandoned,  citizens  killed,  and  the  spoils 
would  be  plentiful.  When  Turkin  suggested  that 
the  party  should  follow  the  colonel,  and  gather  up 
the  plunder,  his  companions  readily  assented. 

Somers  did  not  learn  what  was  to  be  done  with 
himself,  but  he  concluded  that  he  was  to  go  with 
them.  Though  it  was  now  dark,  the  guerillas  im 
mediately  started  for  the  new  field  of  operations, 
and  the  prisoner  was  placed  between  Gragg  and 
Turkin,  as  before.  These  worthies  were  less  com 
municative  during  the  evening  than  they  had  been 
immediately  after  his  capture,  and  Somers  listened 


Fighting  Joe.  219 

in  vain  for  any  hint  in  regard  to  the  disposition 
which  they  intended  to  make  of  him. 

They  rode  till  about  nine  o'clock,  when  Gragg 
suggested  that  they  were  human,  and  ought  to  have 
some  supper.  They  were  approaching  the  mansion 
of  a  planter,  and  as  they  owed  allegiance  to  neither 
side  in  the  great  conflict,  it  mattered  but  little  to 
them  who  or  what  the  owner  was.  Their  sympathies 
were  undoubtedly  with  the  South,  but  their  love  of 
plunder  was  stronger  than  their  sympathies. 

"  Git  off  the  hoss,  cap'n,"  said  Turkin,  as  the  party 
halted  in  the  yard  of  the  house. 

Somers  obeyed.  In  the  darkness  of  the  evening 
he  had  contrived  to  remove  one  of  the  revolvers 
from  its  holster,  and  place  it  under  his  vest ;  for  he 
did  not  know  that  he  should  again  be  permitted  to 
mount  the  horse.  He  had  also  transferred  from  a 
leather  bag  on  the  pommel  of  the  saddle,  two  or 
three  at  a  time,  a  sufficient  number  of  patent  car 
tridges  and  caps.  He  was  not  without  a  hope  that 
the  present  halt  would  afford  him  an  opportunity 
to  attempt  an  escape. 

"  Lead  your  horse  to  the  stable,"  added  Turkin. 

He  put  the  horse  in  the  stable  with  the  others ; 
but  he  was  closely  watched  all  the  time.  While  he 
was  thus  engaged,  he  saw  Gragg  and  Turkin  in 
close  conversation ;  and,  though  Somers  could  not 
hear  what  was  said,  he  was  satisfied  that  they  were 
talking  about  him. 


220  Fighting  Joe. 

"  Cap'n,"  said  Turkin,  as  the  prisoner  came  out  of 
the  stall. 

"  I  am  here,"  replied  Somers. 

"  Will  you  be  shot  afore  supper,  or  arter  ? " 

«  Neither." 

"That's  jest  what  I  expected  you  mought  say, 
because  it  stands  to  reason  no  man  don't  want  to 
be  shot." 

"  Just  my  sentiments ;  I  don't  want  to  be  shot." 

**  Jes'  so ;  and  yer  ought  to  be  much  obleeged  ter 
me  fur  not  shoot'n  yer  before." 

"  I  am  very  grateful  to  you  for  your  considera 
tion." 

"Exac'ly;  you  ain't  no  more  use  to  us  than  a 
knife  and  fork  to  a  cow." 

"  I  don't  do  you  any  harm." 

"  That  may  be ;  but  yer  don't  do  no  good.  Cap'n, 
will  yer  be  shot  afore  supper,  or  arter  ? "  repeated 
Turkin. 

"I  have  already  expressed  my  views  on  that 
subject." 

«  Yes  or  no  ?  " 

«  No." 

*  Cap'n,  you  kin  read,  I  take  it." 

« I  can." 

"D'yer  ever  read  the  story  about  the  monkey 
that  took  the  cat's-paw  to  haul  the  clieatnuts  out 
the  fire  with  ?  " 

« I  have." 


Fighting  Joe.  221 

"  I  knew  yer  hed ;  yer  Yanks  is  great  readers. 
Do  yer  know  what  the  moril  is  to  that  story?" 

"I  think  I  do." 

"  I  knew  yer  did ;  yer  Yanks  is  great  on  morils. 
I'm  gwine  ter  tell  yer  the  moril  of  that  story.  Did 
yer  say  you'd  be  shot  afore  supper,  or  arter  ?  " 

"  Neither,  if  it  will  accommodate  you  just  as  well," 
replied  Somers,  greatly  perplexed  to  know  what  the 
fellow  was  going  to  do. 

"Never  mind,  then;  we'll  talk  about  the  moril. 
It  ain't  jest  the  thing  fur  us  to  go  inter  this  house, 
and  make  'em  get  supper  fur  us,  because  we  ain't 
exac'ly  regular.  We  want  the  supper,  and  we  may 
want  sunthin'  more,  arter  that.  We  don't  want  to 
be  seen  in  the  business.  Now,  we  are  the  monkey, 
and  you  are  the  cat's-paw — don't  you  see  ?  " 

"  I  don't  quite  understand  you." 

"  You  shall  go  in,  order  the  supper,  and  do  the  talk- 
in'  for  us.  When  they  git  supper  ready,  we'll  go  in 
and  eat  it,  without  any  of  the  folks  seein'  on  us.  Yer'll 
be  cap'n,  and  do  the  talkin'  for  us — don't  yer  see  ?  " 

"I  see." 

"  And  keep  the  folks  from  seein'  us  too — don't  yer 
see?" 

«  I  see." 

"Now,  cap'n,  will  yer  be  shot  afore  supper,  or 
arter  ?  "  demanded  Turkin. 

"  Neither,"  replied  Somers,  thereby  consenting  to 
the  plan  proposed  by  the  guerilla. 


222  Fighting  Joe. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

SUPPER   FOR    SEVEN. 

WHATEVER  the  merits  of  the  plan  in  which 
Somers  was  compelled  to  take  a  part,  he  did  not  rel 
ish  the  idea  of  being  made  a  cat's-paw  in  the  hands 
of  such  unmitigated  villains  as  the  guerillas.  It  in 
volved  no  sacrifice  of  principle,  and  did  not  require 
him  to  give  "  aid  and  comfort  to  the  enemy  " ;  other 
wise  he  would  have  taken  his  chances  in  an  encounter 
with  the  whole  squad.  It  was  one  portion  of  the 
enemy  feeding  on  another  portion ;  and  if  the  planter, 
who  was  himself  a  rebel,  objected  to  the  forced  con 
tribution,  he  had  only  to  thank  himself  for  the  state 
of  things  he  had  assisted  in  bringing  about. 

"  I  am  ready,"  said  Somers,  when  Turkin  had  fully 
explained  his  plan. 

"  We're  all  half  starved,  and  I  cal'late  we're  ready 
too." 

"  But  do  you  think  I  shall  look  much  like  an  officer, 
when  I  go  in  without  any  coat  or  boots  ?  " 

"May  be  we  mought  lend  you  a  coat,"  replied 
Turkin,  struck  with  the  force  of  the  suggestion. 

By  his  order,  Somers's  coat  was  restored  to  him, 
with  the  remark  that  he  would  not  want  it  after  sup- 


Fighting  Joe.  223 

per  ;  which  led  him  to  believe  that  he  was  to  be  shot 
when  the  wretches  had  no  further  use  for  him. 

"  An  officer  usually  wears  a  sword,"  added  Somers, 
"  and  a  pair  of  boots." 

"  Ger  'long !  "  said  Gragg. 

«  Do  you  think  an  officer  would  be  without  boots, 
when  all  his  men  are  so  well  shod  ?  I  think  I  should' 
be  a  cat's-paw  without  any  claws." 

"  Give  him  his  boots ;  he  won't  want  'em  arter  sup- 
per,"  replied  Turkin  ;  and  the  young  man  who  had 
these  useful  articles  was  compelled  to  pull  them  off, 
which  he  did  with  a  great  deal  of  difficulty. 

Somers  put  them  on,  and  began  to  feel  like  him- 
self  again. 

«  See  here,  cap'n ;  couldn't  you  send  the  folks  all 
out  the  house  for  a  while,  when  we  are  at  supper?  " 

«  Perhaps  I  could ;  but  I  fancy  they  will  think  I 
am  a  humbug,  when  I  go  in  without  a  sword." 

"  Give  him  his  sword,"  said  Turkin.  «  Now,  kin 
yer  send  the  folks  off  ?— play  'em  some  Yankee  trick  ? 
— don't  yer  see  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  I  could ;  I'll  try." 

"  Ef  yer  do  well,  we'll  give  yer  supper  afore—" 

"  You  git !  "  said  Gragg,  expressively. 

"  I'll  do  the  best  I  can,"  replied  Somers,  confirmed 
in  his  opinion  that  the  savage  meant  to  kill  him,  by 
the  interrupted  remark  of  Turkin,  and  the  expres 
sive  tones  of  Gragg. 

«  Kin  yer  write,  Yank  ?  "  asked  Turkin. 


224  Fighting  Joe. 

"I  can." 

«'  I  knew  yer  could ;  yer  Yanks  is  great  at  writin'. 
Write  'em  a  note,  sayin'  somebody  wants  ter  see  'em 
down  to  the  next  house." 

"  Capital !  "  exclaimed  Somers.  "  I  should  think 
you  were  a  Yankee  yourself." 

"  Don't  call  me  a  Yank." 

"  I  only  meant  that  you  can  beat  the  Yankees  at 
playing  tricks." 

"  I'm  some." 

All  the  servants  outside  the  house  had  been  cap 
tured  and  kept  in  the  darkness,  where  they  could  not 
recognize  any  of  the  guerillas.  They  had  already 
been  questioned,  and  enough  was  known  of  the  family 
to  enable  Somers  to  write  a  note ;  but  they  had  no 
paper. 

"  I  can  manage  it,"  said  Somers,  suddenly,  as 
though  a  splendid  suggestion  had  occurred  to  him. 
"  If  I  take  from  my  Testament  one  of  those  pictures, 
and  tell  them  the  person  represented  wishes  to  see 
them,  they  will  go.  If  they  don't  recognize  the  pic 
ture,  they  will  be  the  more  curious  to  know  who  it 
is." 

"  May  be  they  will,"  replied  Turkin,  doubtfully. 

But  it  appeared  from  the  story  of  the  negroes  that 
a  son  of  the  gentleman  in  the  next  house  had  married 
a  daughter  of  the  planter ;  that  both  were  at  Savan 
nah  ;  and  it  was  finally  agreed  that  the  spokesman 
of  the  party  should  say  the  daughter  had  suddenly 


Fighting  Joe.  225 

arrived,  was  quite  ill,  and  wished  all  the  family  would 
come  down  and  see  her. 

"  But  I  want  one  of  those  pictures  to  write  the 
message  on,"  added  Somers. 

"I'll  give  yer  one." 

"  And  I  want  to  take  it  from  the  Testament.  It 
will  look  more  natural." 

The  guerillas  thought  so  too,  and  by  the  light  of 
the  lantern  which  one  of  the  negroes  brought,  he 
wrote  in  pencil, "  These  villains  mean  to  rob  your  house 
after  supper  ;  get  a  force  and  capture  them" 

"  He's  great  at  writin' — ain't  he  ?  "  said  the  ad 
miring  Turkin. 

"  Will  you  look  at  it  ?  "  asked  Somers,  innocently. 

Turkin  took  the  card,  and  looked  at  it  steadily  by 
the  light  of  the  lantern  for  a  moment,  and  then 
handed  it  back  to  the  writer. 

"  That  will  do,  you  bet,"  added  Turkin.  «  We're 
great  on  a  trick — ain't  we  ?  " 

"There's  nothing  like  a  well-managed  trick,'* 
answered  Somers,  as  he  placed  the  card  in  the  Testa 
ment,  which  had  been  given  him  for  the  purpose. 
"  You  are  sharp  fellows,  and  this  thing  will  work  to 
a  charm." 

"  I  cai'late  it  will ;  but  ger  'long ;  we  want  our 
supper.  After  that  we'll  show  you  a  trick  wuth  two 
of  that. 

They  walked  to  the  side  door  of  the  house,  which 
was  some  distance  from  the  stable,  so  that  the  ar- 


226  Fighting  Joe. 

rival  of  the  guerillas  had  not  been  noticed  by  the 
people  within.  The  villains  seemed  to  have  a  very 
wholesome  dread  of  Colonel  Grayhame,  for  they 
often  alluded  to  him  in  connection  with  the  present 
operation ;  and  they  had  already  discovered  that  his 
main  force  was  not  far  in  advance  of  them,  while 
detachments  of  his  regiment  were  guarding  the  rail 
road,  not  half  a  mile  from  the  house. 

"  See  here,  Yank ;  I  don't  know  as  we  kin  trust 
yer,"  said  Turkin,  who  had  accompanied  him  to  the 
door,  leaving  his  companions  hi  an  arbor,  within  hail 
of  the  mansion. 

"  I  don't  care  whether  you  do  or  not,"  answered 
Somers.  "  This  isn't  my  job ;  it  is  yours." 

"  I'll  go  in  with  yer,  with  my  face  kivered  up,  and 
if  yer  don't  talk  right  up,  I  shan't  ask  yer  whether 
yer'll  be  shot  afore  supper  or  arter." 

"  I'll  do  just  what  you  tell  me  to  do." 

"  Ger  'long,  then." 

Somers  knocked  at  the  door,  which  seemed  to 
displease  his  rude  companion,  who  wished  him  to 
walk  in  without  any  ceremony ;  but  the  "  cat's- 
paw  "  explained  that  a  certain  degree  of  courtesy 
would  help  the  enterprise,  and  the  guerilla  assented, 
though  with  an  ill  grace.  The  door  was  opened  by 
a  sleek,  black  servant. 

tt  Is  Colonel  Roman  within  ?  "  asked  Somers,  using 
the  name  of  the  planter  which  had  been  given  him 
by  Turkin. 


Fighting  Joe.  227 

«  Yes,  sar." 

"  I  wish  to  see  him." 

«  Walk  in,  sar." 

Somers  was  conducted  to  an  elegant  library,  where 
the  planter  and  his  family  were  seated.  He  was 
closely  followed  by  Turkin,  who  had  tied  a  red  silk 
handkerchief  over  his  face,  so  that  his  ugly  physiog 
nomy  was  entirely  concealed  from  the  inmates  of  the 
room.  The  planter  rose  from  his  chair,  and  bowed 
with  stately  courtesy  to  his  unexpected  visitors. 

"  I  beg  your  pardon  for  disturbing  you,  Colonel 
Roman,"  said  Somers. 

"  Whom  have  I  the  honor  of  addressing  ? "  de 
manded  the  planter,  rather  coldly. 

"  Captain  Somers,  of  the  army,  at  your  service, 
sir." 

"  You  seem  to  wear  the  uniform  of  the  Yankees." 

"  That's  inter  yer,"  whispered  Turkin,  who  stood 
close  by  his  spokesman. 

"  I  was  so  fortunate  as  to  obtain  this  uniform  from 
a  Yankee  officer  whom  I  captured,"  replied  Somers, 
with  promptness. 

"  There  yer  hev  him,"  added  Turkin. 

"  That  explains  it,  though  some  officers  prefer  to 
go  in  rags  rather  than  wear  the  colors  of  the  Yankees, 
especially  when  obtained  in  that  manner." 

"  I  have  only  to  say,  sir,  that  the  Yankee  from 
whom  I  got  them  had  no  further  use  for  his  clothes," 
added  Somers,  pleased  to  find  that  the  chivalry  did 


228  Fighting  Joe. 

not  justify  the  system  which  prevailed  of  robbing 
prisoners  of  their  clothing. 

"  May  I  ask  your  business  with  me,  sir  ?" 

"  I  have  a  small  squad  of  seven  men  with  me.  We 
have  had  no  supper,  and  we  wish  to  trespass  so 
far  on  your  hospitality  as  to  obtain  one  in  your 
house." 

"  Eight  of  you  ?  "  asked  the  planter.  "  You  shall 
be  supplied  at  once." 

"  We  are  in  great  haste." 

"  All  possible  expedition  shall  be  used  in  prepar 
ing  the  meal,"  answered  the  planter,  as  he  ordered 
his  servant  to  give  the  proper  directions  to  the  cook 
and  others.  "  Do  you  belong  to  Colonel  Grayhame's 
force  ? " 

"  Tell  him  yer  do,"  whispered  Turkin. 

"  We  do,  sir.  We  stopped  at  the  next  house  be 
low,  to  get  some  supper,  for  we  are  almost  starved ; 
but  they  had  just  received  some  friends  from 
Savannah,  and  could  not  provide  for  us." 

"  From  Savannah  ? "  said  the  planter,  with  evi 
dent  surprise ;  and  immediately  the  ladies  present 
suspended  their  sewing,  and  looked  at  the  young 
officer. 

"  Yer  smart,  Yank !  "  muttered  Turkin,  who  ap 
peared  to  enjoy  the  situation  amazingly. 

"I  think  they  said  from  Savannah,"  replied 
Somers.  "  They  recommended  us  to  come  here,  as 
suring  us  that  you  never  turned  a  hungry  soldier 


Fighting  Joe.  229 

from  your  door.  They  gave  me  a  card,  requesting 
me  to  deliver  it  to  you." 

Somers  handed  the  planter  the  photograph,  on 
the  back  of  which  was  written  the  appalling  state 
ment  of  the  character  of  the  guerillas.  It  was  a 
fearful  moment  to  him,  for  the  alarm  of  the  planter 
might  betray  him  to  the  bloodthirsty  villain  who 
stood  at  his  side.  Though  the  silk  handkerchief 
over  the  face  of  Turkin  impaired  his  vision,  it  did 
not  entirely  obstruct  it. 

Colonel  Roman  read  the  words  on  the  card ;  he 
was  startled  by  them,  and  glanced  at  the  bearer  of 
the  message.  Somers  contracted  his  brow,  shook 
his  head  slightly  in  the  direction  of  Turkin,  and  as 
sumed  a  deprecatory  expression,  which  the  planter 
seemed  to  understand. 

"  The  persons  at  the  next  house  wish  to  see  you 
as  soon  as  possible,"  added  Somers. 

"  We  will  go  at  once,"  replied  Colonel  Roman, 
« if  you  will  excuse  my  absence." 

"Certainly,  sir,"  answered  Somers,  now  fully 
assured  that  he  was  understood. 

"  What  is  it,  father  ?  "  asked  one  of  the  daughters, 
puzzled  by  the  remarks  which  had  been  made  in  her 
presenca 

"  Your  sister  Lucretia  has  arrived  from  Savannah ; 
she  is  ill,  and  we  will  go  down  and  see  her  imme 
diately,"  replied  the  planter. 

The  wife  and  both  of  the  daughters  expressed 


230  Fighting  Joe. 

their  surprise ;  but  the  colonel  directed  them  to  get 
ready  as  speedily  as  possible,  and  they  left  the  room 
for  this  purpose. 

"  I  am  sorry  to  leave  you,  captain,"  continued  the 
planter ;  "  but  I  will  endeavor  to  return  as  soon  as 
you  have  finished  your  supper.  Pray  make  your 
selves  entirely  at  home.  Why  don't  your  men  come 
into  the  house.  My  doors  are  always  open  to  the 
defenders  of  my  country." 

"  Thank  you,  Colonel  Roman.  I  will  take  them 
into  the  dining-room  at  once." 

"  Do  so,"  said  the  planter,  as  he  left  the  room. 

"  You're  smart,  Yank ! "  exclaimed  Turkin. 

"  I  have  only  done  what  you  told  me  to  do.  If 
there  is  any  credit  about  the  affair,  it  belongs  to 
you,"  replied  Somers,  in  a  deprecatory  tone. 

"  That's  so,  Yank ;  but  yer  kerried  it  through 
right  smart,  and  yer  shall  hev  some  supper  afore — " 

"  You  are  shot,"  the  ruffian  would  have  said,  if 
not  prevented  by  prudential  motives. 

The  planter  and  his  family  left  the  house  by  the 
front  door ;  and  it  is  probable  that  they  used  all 
possible  haste  to  escape  from  the  presence  of  the 
guerillas,  whose  character  they  now  understood.  In 
the  meantime,  Turkin  amused  himself  by  opening 
the  various  drawers  in  the  planter's  secretary,  and 
prying  into  every  hole  and  corner  which  might  be 
supposed  to  contain  any  valuables. 

In  half  an  hour,  supper  was    announced,  and 


Fighting  Joe.  231 

Turkin  went  to  the  dining-room.  The  servants 
were  sent  off,  and  ordered  not  to  show  themselves 
again.  The  guerillas  then  sat  down  to  supper, 
making  Somers  stand  before  the  door  leading  into 
the  hall,  to  notify  them  of  the  approach  of  any  per 
son.  They  ate  and  drank,  but  they  did  not  hear 
the  sounds  of  horses'  hoofs  in  the  yard,  just  as  they 
finished  their  meal. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

THE  CAT'S-PAW  TOO  SHARP  FOB  THE  MOITKEY. 

THE  side  door  of  the  house  opened  into  the  hall, 
where  Somers  stood  as  sentinel  for  the  hungry 
guerillas,  and  from  which  a  flight  of  stairs  led  to 
the  second  floor.  The  prisoner  had  carefully  noted 
all  the  surroundings,  for  he  had  learned  from 
"  Fighting  Joe  "  that  the  battle  was  gamed  only  by 
good  strategy,  which  must  depend  upon  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  ground. 

When  the  precious  plan  of  his  captors  was  first 
developed,  Somers  regarded  it  as  the  means  of  his 
deliverance,  though  he  could  not  then  tell  precisely 
in  what  manner  it  was  to  be  accomplished.  He 
knew  that  an  important  bridge  on  the  railroad,  not 
far  from  Colonel  Roman's  house,  was  guarded  by  a 


232  Fighting  Joe. 

squad  of  cavalry,  and  he  readily  perceived  that  this 
force  would  be  brought  up  by  the  planter  for  the 
protection  of  his  family  and  the  capture  of  the 
guerillas.  These  wretches  were  by  no  means  an 
anomalous  class  on  the  flanks  of  Sherman's  grand 
march  to  the  sea ;  and  Colonel  Roman  readily  un 
derstood  who  and  what  they  were.  They  were 
nominally  southern  partisans,  organized,  protected 
and  encouraged  by  the  president  of  the  Confederate 
States;  but  they  were  as  willing  to  plunder  one 
party  in  the  strife  as  the  other. 

Somers  had  no  special  sympathy  for  the  planter, 
though  he  would  have  gladly  raised  his  arm  hi  de 
fense  of  the  female  members  of  his  family,  even 
against  the  wretches  whom  treason  and  rebellion 
had  brought  into  the  field.  What  he  had  done  was 
for  his  own  benefit,  rather  than  for  that  of  the  hos 
pitable  rebel.  He  had  recovered  possession  of  his 
boots  and  coat,  his  Testament  and  photographs, 
when  he  became  the  "  cat's-paw  "  of  the  guerillas, 
and  he  was  now  in  condition  to  make  a  movement 
as  soon  as  the  circumstances  would  justify  it. 

The  land-pirates — for  they  can  be  called  by  no 
more  appropriate  name — finished  their  supper,  and 
turned  their  attention  to  the  second  part  of  the 
program  they  had  laid  out.  Evidently  they  did 
not  intend  to  sack  the  mansion,  but  only  to  appro 
priate  such  valuable  small  articles  as  could  be  con 
veniently  carried  about  their  persons.  For  this 


Fighting  Joe.  233 

purpose  Turkin  and  Gragg  entered  the  library ;  two 
others  crossed  the  hall  into  the  sitting-room ;  and 
the  other  three  went  up-stairs.  They  had  not  heard 
the  tramp  of  horses  in  the  yard ;  but  Somers,  being 
near  the  side  door,  which  was  partly  open,  listened 
to  the  sounds  as  the  notes  of  his  own  deliverance. 

The  time  for  action  had  come,  and  while  the 
guerillas  were  intent  upon  their  plunder,  Somers 
left  the  door  where  he  had  been  stationed,  and 
moved  round  to  the  rear  of  the  staircase,  where  he 
expected  to  find  a  passage  to  the  cellar ;  but  he 
found  none.  The  house  was  surrounded  by  rebel 
cavalry,  and  it  was  not  safe  for  him  to  go  out,  for 
he  did  not  forget  that  it  was  necessary  for  him  to 
escape  from  the  foe  without,  as  well  as  the  foe 
within.  They  were  both  enemies ;  and  though  one 
was  less  barbarous  than  the  other,  he  had  hardly 
more  relish  for  Anderson  ville,  than  for  being  shot 
by  the  wretches  who  held  him. 

As  the  only  alternative,  he  went  up  the  stairs ; 
and  avoiding  the  three  men  who  were  searching  the 
chambers  there,  he  found  the  garret  steps,  and  went 
up,  where  he  was  not  likely  to  be  followed  by  any 
of  his  late  companions.  He  had  scarcely  reached 
this  secure  position  before  the  commotion  below 
indicated  that  the  cavalrymen  had  commenced  their 
work.  One  or  two  shots  were  fired  ;  but  the  noise 
immediately  subsided,  and  it  was  evident  that  the 
robbers  had  all  been  captured. 


234  Fighting  Joe. 

"There  were  eight  of  them,  you  said,"  Somers 
heard  some  one  in  the  entry  below  remark. 

"There  were;  but  one  of  them  was  the  officer 
who  gave  the  information,"  replied  another,  whom 
the  fugitive  recognized  as  Colonel  Roman. 

"  But  he  was  one  of  the  gang." 

"He  looked  like  a  Yankee  officer,"  added  the 
colonel. 

"  We  want  him,  whatever  he  is,  if  it  is  only  for 
his  evidence  against  these  villains  we  have  captured. 
Colonel  Grayhame  threatened  to  hang  these  same 
scoundrels  only  yesterday." 

"  The  officer  who  gave  me  the  card  is  clearly  not 
one  of  this  gang." 

"  I  don't  understand  it,"  said  the  other  person, 
who  was  probably  the  officer  in  command  of  the 
squad  of  cavalry. 

"  I  should  be  very  glad  of  an  explanation,  but  I 
am  greatly  indebted  to  the  gentleman,  and  I  wish 
to  thank  him,  if  nothing  more,  for  the  favor  he  has 
done  me,"  continued  the  colonel. 

"  I  have  nothing  against  him,  but  I  wish  to  know 
what  he  is." 

Somers  hoped  he  would  not  trouble  himself,  and 
he  was  even  willing  the  planter  should  omit  to 
thank  him ;  for  the  officer's  curiosity  and  the  colonel's 
gratitude  threatened  to  consign  him  to  a  rebel  prison. 
He  heard  a  call  from  the  former,  followed  by  the 
tramp  of  heavy  feet  on  the  lower  staircase. 


Fighting  Joe.  235 

"Lieutenant,  I  hope  you  will  consider  my  po 
sition  in  this  matter,"  said  the  planter. 

"  I  must  do  my  duty.  If  the  man  is  a  Yankee 
officer,  as  you  think,  he  must  not  be  permitted  to 
roam  around  the  country.  He  may  belong  to  the 
force  which  is  now  destroying  the  railroad;  per 
haps  gobbled  up  by  these  miscreants.  It  is  not  for 
me  to  say  what  shall  be  done  with  him.  I  must- 
catch  him  if  I  can.  I  saw  him  standing  at  the  door 
of  the  dining-room,  when  I  looked  in  at  the  window, 
and  I  am  positive  he  has  not  left  the  house." 

"  I  regard  the  person  as  my  friend,"  added  the 
planter,  warmly.  "  My  wife  and  daughters,  as 
well  as  myself,  are  very  grateful  to  him,  for  he  has 
saved  them  from  insult  and  outrage,  for  aught  I 
know." 

"  Your  feelings  and  those  of  your  family  shall  be 
respected,  Colonel  Roman ;  but  I  must  do  my  duty," 
answered  the  lieutenant,  firmly. 

The  officer  then  ordered  his  men  to  search  the 
various  apartments  and  closets  of  the  second  floor. 
Somers,  though  the  case  certainly  looked  very  hope 
ful  for  him,  with  the  powerful  influence  of  the 
wealthy  planter  in  his  favor,  wished  to  escape ;  but 
he  thought  it  would  be  an  easy  and  safe  thing  to 
return  to  Sherman's  army  before  Atlanta,  and  he 
was  not  disposed  to  be  introduced  to  the  lieutenant, 
or  even  to  improve  his  acquaintance  with  Colonel 
Roman.  If  he  could  conceal  himself  until  the  squad 


236  Fighting  Joe. 

of  cavalry  retired,  he  was  satisfied  that  the  planter 
would  enable  him  to  return  to  the  army. 

It  was  very  dark  in  the  garret,  and  while  the 
lieutenant  and  his  party  were  searching  the  cham 
bers,  Somers  carefully  felt  about  him  for  some  place 
of  concealment.  The  roof  was  a  four-sided  one,  in 
which  there  were  no  windows ;  but  while  he  was 
walking  about,  he  struck  his  head  against  a  long 
iron  handle,  which  proved  to  be  attached  to  a  shut 
ter  or  scuttle.  This  he  unfastened  and  raised,  and 
his  eyes  were  greeted  by  a  view  of  the  starry  sky. 
The  discovery  was  a  welcome  one,  and  he  lost  not  a 
moment  in  availing  himself  of  the  advantage  which 
it  seemed  to  afford. 

The  lower  end  of  the  aperture  was  within  reach 
of  his  hands ;  and  with  great  care  and  no  little  dif 
ficulty  he  raised  himself,  and  succeeded  in  gaining 
the  roof — an  operation  which  his  gymnastic  practice 
enabled  him  to  accomplish,  for  it  was  a  feat  an  un 
trained  person  could  hardly  have  performed.  But 
he  had  scarcely  reached  the  roof  before  he  heard  his 
pursuers  in  the  attic,  and  the  light  from  their  lamps 
shone  up  through  the  scuttle. 

"  I  see  where  he  has  gone ! "  shouted  the  lieu 
tenant,  as  he  discovered  the  open  shutter. 

"He  will  fall  and  break  his  neck,"  added  the 
planter. 

Somers  closed  the  scuttle,  and  sat  down  upon  it ; 
but  the  game  seemed  to  be  up  with  him.  He  drew 


Fighting  Joe.  237 

his  sword,  and  thrust  the  point  into  the  roof  as  far 
as  he  could,  causing  it  to  act  as  a  bolt  over  the 
shutter — hoping  by  this  means  to  gain  a  moment's 
time  to  examine  the  situation.  There  appeared  to  be 
no  means  of  descending  from  the  roof  to  the  ground 
except  by  the  lightning-rods,  which  he  saw  rising 
above  the  chimneys.  Then,  if  he  reached  the 
ground,  the  house  was  surrounded  by  rebels,  and 
his  fate  would  only  be  deferred. 

While  he  was  considering  these  facts,  the  men  in 
the  attic  were  endeavoring  to  raise  the  scuttle. 
They  did  not  at  once  succeed ;  but  Somers's  pros 
pects  were  presently  destroyed,  when  several  of  the 
rebels  took  hold  of  the  shutter  and  raised  it,  tum 
bling  the  fugitive  over  on  the  roof.  A  short  ladder 
was  placed  on  the  floor,  and  the  lieutenant  mounted 
to  the  top  of  the  house. 

"  Surrender ! "  said  the  officer. 

"I  suppose  there  is  no  help  for  it,"  replied 
Somers. 

"Not  the  least;  resistance  would  be  useless." 

"  I  surrender." 

"  Go  down,  then,  if  you  please." 

Somers  descended  the  ladder  to  the  garret,  where 
he  found  Colonel  Roman  and  half  a  dozen  cavalry 
men. 

"  I  am  sorry  you  are  taken,  since  you  did  not  wish 
to  be  taken,"  said  the  planter. 

"  I  could  not  very  well  help  myself." 


238  Fighting  Joe. 

The  lieutenant  led  the  way  down-stairs  to  the 
library,  which  was  the  largest  room  in  the  house, 
and  in  which  the  seven  guerillas,  now  disarmed, 
were  held  by  their  captors. 

"  Well,  Yank,  you  be  counted  in  with  us,"  said 
Turkin,  with  a  malicious  grin. 

"I  have  the  satisfaction  of  escaping  from  your 
hands,  if  nothing  more,"  replied  Somers. 

"  See  here,  Yank ;  I  cal'lated  to  shoot  you  after 
supper,  but  I  reckon  we'll  all  hang  together." 

"  I  think  not,"  interposed  the  lieutenant ;  "  you 
have  said  enough  already  to  convince  me  that  this 
gentleman  does  not  belong  to  your  gang." 

"  He's  a  Yank ;  we  took  him  over  yender,  and  he 
belongs  to  some  gin'ral's  staff.  I  reckon  he's  a  good 
haul,  and  I  ought  to  hev  the  credit  of  ketchin'  him." 

"  Your  accounts  will  be  settled  in  a  few  days ; 
and  I  fancy  Colonel  Grayhame  will  hang  you  higher 
than  Haman,  when  he  understands  this  business." 

"  That  would  be  moighty  onhandsome,  arter  we 
ketched  the  Yankee  officer." 

"  Your  name,  if  you  please,  sir,"  said  the  lieutenant, 
turning  to  the  prisoner. 

"  Captain  Thomas  Somers,"  replied  he,  at  the  same 
time  giving  his  official  position  and  connections. 

"  You  were  captured  by  these  men  ?  " 

"  I  was ; "  and  Somers  detailed  the  particulars  of 
the  event.  "  Major  de  Banyan  was  shot  at  the  same 
time,"  he  added,  turning  to  Turkin,  who,  he  hoped, 


Fighting  Joe.  239 

would  endeavor  to  improve  his  prospects  by  telling 
what  had  become  of  his  friend. 

"I  shot  him,"  said  Gragg ;  "  and  if  I'm  to  be  hung 
fur  that,  I  cal'late  it  won't  be  safe  to  fight  the  Yanks 
much  longer." 

"  Was  he  killed  ?  "  asked  the  lieutenant. 

"  I  reckon  he  wan't ;  we  got  him  over  the  creek  ; 
there  he  gin  out,  and  we  left  him,  and  stivered  back 
arter  his  hoss.  That's  when  we  took  this  Yank; 
but  Turkin  shot  his  hoss  instid  of  him." 

"  Was  the  major  dead  when  you  left  him  ?  " 

"  Not  jest  then ;  but  I  cal'late  he  didn't  stand  it 
long." 

Somers's  worst  fears  in  regard  to  his  friend  seemed 
to  be  confirmed.  To  the  questions  of  the  officer  he 
gave  true  answers,  until  the  history  of  the  guerillas' 
movements  up  to  the  time  of  their  arrival  at  the 
mansion  of  the  planter  had  been  elicited. 

*'I  was  made  the  cat's-paw  of  these  men,  who 
wished  to  procure  a  supper,  and  to  rob  the  house 
without  exposing  themselves  to  detection.  Their 
purpose  was  to  get  the  family  out  of  the  house," 
continued  Somers.  "  You  did  not  find  your  friends 
from  Savannah  at  the  next  house — did  you,  Colonel 
Roman  ?  " 

"  I  did  not  expect  to  find  them  there.  Was  that 
your  scheme  ?  " 

"  You  bet  it  wan't,  kun'l,"  exclaimed  Turkin,  as 
though  he  feared  Somers  would  obtain  more  credit 


240  Fighting  Joe. 

than  he  deserved.  "That's  some  of  my  thinkin', 
kun'l.  The  Yank  ain't  so  good  on  tricks  as  I  be.  I 
told  him  what  to  write  on  that  keerd.  The  Yank 
is  great  at  writin',  but  I'm  some  for  plannin'." 

"  Did  you  read  what  he  wrote  on  the  card  ?  "  asked 
Colonel  Roman,  who  could  not  help  laughing  at  the 
simplicity  of  the  wretch. 

"I  reckon  I  didn't;  I  ain't  much  at  readin* 
writin'." 

"  I  will  read  it  to  you,"  added  the  planter,  taking 
the  card  from  his  pocket :  "  *  These  villains  mean  to 
rob  your  house  after  supper  ;  get  a  force  and  capture 
them!"1 

"  Is  that  what  he  writ  ?  "  demanded  Turkin,  in  a 
fearful  rage. 

"  It  is.    The  cat's-paw  had  a  fang." 

«  Then  I'll  hang  him." 

"  You  will  be  hung  yourself  first." 

Everything  was  explained ;  and  now  came  up  the 
question  in  regard  to  the  disposition  of  Somers. 
The  lieutenant  declared  he  had  no  authority  to  dis 
charge  the  prisoner,  who  was  a  Union  officer  •  but 
he  would  report  the  case  to  his  superiors. 

«  That's  inter  yer,  Yank,"  said  Turkin.  "  You'll 
go  with  us." 

Colonel  Roman  interposed  to  prevent  Somers's 
longer  remaining  in  the  company  of  the  villains. 
The  prisoner  gave  his  parole  for  three  days,  and  the 
officer  left  him  with  the  planter,  who  promised  to 


Fighting  Joe.  241 

go  with  him  to  the  headquarters  of  the  rebel  army 
within  that  time.  The  lieutenant  then  departed 
with  his  prisoners,  and  Somers  was  treated  as  a  guest 
in  the  house  of  the  colonel. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  BLOODHOUNDS  ON  THE  TRACK. 

IN  one  week  from  the  day  on  which  Somers  made 
the  acquaintance  of  Colonel  Roman,  he  was  inside 
of  the  stockade  at  Andersonville.  It  so  happened 
that  the  general  officer  with  whom  rested  the  decis 
ion  in  the  case  of  the  prisoner,  was  a  personal  and 
political  opponent  of  the  planter,  and  the  colonel 
had  no  influence  with  him.  An  appeal  was  made 
to  higher  authority,  but  it  was  unavailing ;  and 
Somers  was  hurried  away  to  that  miserable  place, 
where  officers  and  soldiers  died  by  thousands,  of 
sheer  inhumanity. 

Colonel  Roman  promised  to  continue  his  exertions 
for  the  release  of  his  friend,  or,  if  he  could  not  ob 
tain  that,  for  better  treatment  than  had  usually 
been  accorded  to  prisoners  of  war  by  the  Confeder 
acy.  It  is  quite  probable  that  he  did  so,  but  the 
subject  of  his  intercession  obtained  no  favor  on 
account  of  it.  His  experience  at  Andersonville  was 
that  of  thousands  of  others.  It  would  require  a 
volume  to  narrate  it  j  and  the  sad  story  has  been  so 


242  Fighting  Joe. 

often  told,  that  it  needs  not  a  repetition  here.  The 
whole  civilized  world  condemns  the  barbarous  treat 
ment  of  prisoners  by  the  Confederacy. 

Week  after  week,  and  month  after  month,  dragged 
away  amid  suffering  and  privation,  until  Sherman's 
grand  march  to  the  sea  filled  the  rebels  with  terror ; 
and  a  portion  of  the  prisoners  remaining  in  their 
hands  were  sent  to  Columbia,  South  Carolina.  Som- 
ers  was  among  the  number.  He  had  been  a  pris 
oner  for  nearly  five  months,  and  his  health  was  al 
ready  much  impaired  by  his  sufferings ;  by  the 
scanty  and  mean  food,  but  quite  as  much  by  being 
compelled  to  witness  the  misery  and  death  which 
prevailed  in  the  horrid  slaughter-pen  in  which 
he  had  been  confined.  Once  he  had  made  an  at 
tempt  to  escape,  but  had  been  hunted  down  and 
recaptured. 

He  arrived  at  Columbia ;  but  he  had  made  up  his 
mind  not  to  stay  there.  It  was  sure  death  to  one 
of  his  temperament  to  live  such  a  dog's  life  as  that 
to  which  he  had  been  doomed.  It  was  better  to  be 
shot  down  by  the  sentinels,  or  even  to  be  torn  in 
pieces  by  the  fangs  of  the  merciless  bloodhounds, 
than  to  die  by  niches  within  the  camp  of  the 
prisoners. 

Every  day  a  certain  number  of  prisoners,  paroled 
for  the  purpose,  were  allowed  to  go  out  after  wood, 
for  two  hours.  Thpse  who  were  thus  favored  were 
obliged  to  sign  a  parole,  and  their  names  were  handed 


Fighting  Joe.  243 

to  the  officer  of  the  day,  who  was  authorized  to 
permit  them  to  pass.  When  Somers  found  an  op 
portunity  to  join  one  of  these  parties,  he  gave  his 
parole,  as  others  did ;  and  even  his  sufferings  had 
not  so  far  demoralized  him  that  he  could  violate  the 
solemn  pledge.  He  went  out  with  the  others,  but 
immediately  returned  with  his  load  of  wood.  Has 
tening  to  the  officer  of  the  day,  he  told  him  he  had 
done  his  share  of  the  work,  and  requested  to  be  re 
lease  from  his  parole,  which  was  then  given  back  to 
him.  He  was  now  free  from  his  obligation,  and 
having  destroyed  the  paper,  if  he  should  happen  to 
be  recaptured  in  his  attempt  to  escape,  it  could  not 
be  brought  against  him  to  subject  him  to  the  penalty 
of  its  violation. 

Others  were  bringing  in  wood  and  timber,  and 
passing  out  again  for  more.  Somers  walked  out 
with  the  rest.  When  they  came  to  the  guard  they 
were  carefully  examined  again,  to  see  that  none  but 
paroled  officers  passed  out.  They  gave  their  names, 
and  the  sentinel  referred  to  the  list  of  those  paroled 
for  that  day,  and  if  it  was  all  right,  they  were 
allowed  to  pass. 

"  Your  name  ?  "  said  the  guard  to  Somers. 

The  prisoner  gave  it. 

"  All  right,"  replied  the  sentinel,  who,  of  course, 
found  the  name  in  the  list. 

Somers  was  now  outside  of  the  camp,  and  dis 
charged  from  his  parole;  but  his  difficulties  had 


244  Fighting  Joe. 

only  just  commenced,  for  a  guard  of  eighty  men 
was  stretched  around  the  tract  of  woods  in  which 
the  prisoners  were  at  work.  He  walked  away  from 
the  stockade  animated  by  a  hope,  though  it  was  but 
a  dim  one,  of  breathing  once  more  the  air  of  free 
dom.  Intent  upon  the  object  before  him,  he  passed 
a  group  of  emaciated  forms,  whose  constitutions 
were  strong  enough  to  enable  them  to  overcome 
the  horrors  of  the  hospital,  in  which  they  were  still 
patients. 

a  Somers ! "  exclaimed  one  of  them,  rushing  to 
wards  him. 

The  young  officer  turned,  and  in  the  tall,  pale, 
attenuated  person  who  addressed  him,  he  recognized 
his  friend  De  Banyan.  He  looked  like  a  wreck,  and 
there  was  little  to  remind  him  of  the  manly  and 
noble  form  of  the  major,  as  he  had  known  him  five 
months  before. 

"  De  Banyan  1 "  cried  Somers,  rushing  into  the 
arms  of  his  friend,  and  weeping  like  a  child  with  the 
joy  he  could  not  conceal. 

It  was  a  tender  and  a  touching  reunion,  and  even 
the  rebel  sentinels  did  not  interpose  to  separate  them. 

"  How  came  you  here  ?  "  demanded  De  Banyan, 
when  the  first  emotions  of  the  happy  meeting  had 
subsided. 

"  I  was  captured  at  the  time  you  were  shot ;  but 
I  have  been  at  Andersonville  till  a  week  ago,"  re 
plied  Somers. 


Fighting  Joe.  245 

"  I  have  been  in  the  hospital ;  that's  the  reason  I 
did  not  see  you." 

"  That  must  be  the  reason,"  replied  Somers,  in  a 
loud  tone  ;  and  then,  dropping  his  voice  to  a  whisper, 
he  added,  "  I  am  going  to  escape  to-day." 

"  I  have  been  quite  sick,"  continued  the  major, 
aloud.  "  I  am  on  parole  " — in  a  whisper. 

"  Are  you  better  ?  " 

"  Much  better ;  I  feel  pretty  well  now,"  said  the 
major.  "  Wait  half  an  hour  for  me  in  the  woods." 

"  I  will,"  replied  Somers,  as  he  moved  on. 

De  Banyan  soon  joined  him.  At  his  own  request 
the  surgeon  had  discharged  him,  and  he  had  taken 
up  his  parole.  With  a  basket  of  vials,  which  he 
found  in  an  ante-room  of  the  hospital,  he  walked 
boldly  through  the  guards,  who,  believing  him  still 
to  be  a  paroled  prisoner,  permitted  him  to  pass. 
During  his  convalescence,  he  had  been  employed  in 
various  light  duties  connected  with  the  hospital,  and 
had  had  frequent  occasion  to  pass  the  sentries,  so 
that  no  suspicion  attached  to  him  after  he  had  been 
relieved  from  his  parole. 

With  Somers  he  walked  to  the  woods,  and  with 
him  chopped  and  gathered  sticks.  At  a  point  near 
the  center  of  the  space  surrounded  by  the  sentinels, 
they  found  a  pine  tree,  whose  dense  foliage  promised 
to  afford  them  the  shelter  they  required.  At  a 
favorable  moment  Somers  sprang  up  into  the  tree, 
and  the  major  followed  him  a  few  minutes  later. 


246  Fighting  Joe. 

Of  course  they  were  seen  by  their  fellow-prisoners, 
and  they  were  obliged  to  run  the  risk  of  being  ex 
posed  by  any  one  of  them  who  was  vile  enough  to 
do  such  a  mean  act.  Men  have  been  known  at 
Andersonville,  Columbia,  and  other  prison  camps, 
to  stoop  to  the  contemptible  and  cowardly  meanness 
of  betraying  a  comrade  under  such  circumstances  ; 
but  with  only  a  few  rare  exceptions,  the  prisoners 
were  too  manly  and  noble  to  be  guilty  of  such  a 
base  act. 

They  had  escaped  the  observation  of  the  soldiers, 
who  were  too  indolent,  or  too  far  off,  to  notice  what 
took  place  within  their  line.  The  only  duty  they 
were  called  upon  to  perform,  as  they  seemed  to  re 
gard  it,  was  to  prevent  any  of  the  prisoners  from 
passing  beyond  the  bonds  allotted  to  them.  The 
two  hours  in  which  the  men  were  allowed  to  gather 
wood  expired  soon  after  Somers  and  De  Banyan 
ascended  the  tree. 

"Good-by,  Captain;  report  me  at  home,  if  you 
get  through,"  said  a  Massachusetts  officer,  who  stood 
at  the  foot  of  the  tree  when  the  prisoners  were 
ordered  back  to  the  camp. 

"  I  will,"  replied  Somers,  who  knew  the  officer's 
address. 

The  prisoners,  laden  with  their  sticks  of  timber 
and  bundles  of  wood,  were  driven  back  to  the  camp, 
to  endure  other  weeks  and  months  of  suffering,  or 
to  die  there,  as  many  had  done  before.  Somers  and 


Fighting  Joe.  247 

the  major  kept  perfectly  still  until  the  guard  had 
passed  the  tree,  and  disappeared  from  their  view. 

"  We  shall  be  missed  before  long,"  said  Somers. 

"  We  will  not  stop  here,"  replied  De  Banyan,  as 
he  descended  the  tree  and  lay  down  on  the  ground 
at  the  foot  of  it. 

Somers  followed  him,  lying  down  by  his  side. 
Having  satisfied  themselves  that  they  had  not  been 
observed,  they  crawled  away  until  the  slope  of  a 
hill  concealed  them  from  the  view  of  the  camp, 
when  they  ventured  to  stand  upright,  like  men,  and 
press  forward  for  life  and  liberty.  They  continued 
to  walk  in  a  southerly  direction  till  they  came  to  a 
creek,  over  which  they  swam,  in  the  hope  that  the 
water  would  interrupt  the  scent  of  the  bloodhounds 
which  would  be  put  on  their  track  as  soon  as  their 
absence  was  discovered. 

It  was  a  vain  hope.  They  were  in  a  kind  of 
swampy  jungle,  not  more  than  half  a  mile  from  the 
creek,  when  they  heard  the  fearful  cry  of  the  dogs. 

"  We  are  lost ! "  exclaimed  Somers,  appalled  at 
the  horrible  sounds. 

"  No ! "  replied  De  Banyan,  with  his  old  energy. 
"  Don't  give  it  up  !  " 

"  I  won't,  if  you  do  not,"  added  Somers,  inspired 
with  courage  by  the  firmness  and  self-possession  of 
his  friend. 

"  Find  a  club  if  you  can !  " 

They  were  fortunate  enough  to  find  a  couple  of 


248  Fighting  Joe. 

sticks,  soaked  full  of  water,  with  which  they  hoped 
to  make  a  good  fight. 

«  Shall  we  climb  a  tree  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  You  are  lost  if  you  do,"  replied  De  Banyan,  as 
he  took  from  his  pocket  a  roll  of  cord,  which  he  had 
appropriated  in  the  hospital  for  another  purpose. 

Unrolling  it,  he  cut  it  into  two  pieces,  with  one 
of  which  he  made  a  slip-noose,  and  directed  Somers 
to  do  the  same  with  the  other.  The  dogs  were  still 
some  distance  from  the  spot,  and  the  men  in  pursuit 
seemed  to  be  unable  to  follow  them  on  their  horses, 
which  explained  the  major's  policy  in  choosing  a 
swamp  for  his  flight.  Selecting  a  narrow  pass 
between  two  clumps  of  bushes,  which  had  been 
beaten  into  a  path,  he  stretched  the  slipnoose  over 
it,  just  as  boys  in  the  country  set  snares  for  foxes 
and  rabbits.  Somers  did  precisely  the  same  thing 
in  another  locality. 

De  Banyan  then  bent  down  a  small  sapling,  so 
that  the  top  of  it  came  over  the  snare,  and  attached 
the  end  of  the  cord  to  it.  The  little  tree  was  held 
down  by  weaving  the  branches  into  the  bushes,  just 
strong  enough  to  hold  it  down,  but  so  that  any 
force  beyond  its  own  elasticity  would  disengage  it. 
The  contrivance  formed  what  is  sometimes  called  a 
"  twitch-up  snare."  Somers  knew  all  about  it,  and 
set  his  own  hi  the  same  manner. 

By  this  time  the  dogs  were  upon  them,  and  each 
of  them  stepped  behind  the  trap  he  had  set.  The 


Fighting  Joe.  249 

hounds  made  directly  towards  them,  two  by  one  path 
and  one  by  the  other. 

"  Come  on,  doggy,"-said  De  Banyan,  as  he  stood 
coolly  waiting  the  issue  of  the  enterprise.  "  Stand 
by  with  your  club,  Somers,  if  it  fails." 

"  I  am  all  ready,"  replied  Somers,  as  he -nerved  his 
arm  for  the  conflict,  if  one  should  be  necessary. 

On  rushed  the  bloodhounds,  with  their  fiendish 
yelp,  the  one  that  approached  De  Banyan  being  a 
few  feet  in  advance  of  the  others.  He  dashed  into 
the  narrow  path,  thrusting  his  head  through  the 
noose,  drawing  it  tight  around  his  neck,  and  detach 
ing  the  tree.  The  elasticity  of  the  sapling  gave  him 
a  tremendous  twitch,  and  lifted  his  fore  legs  from 
the  ground.  The  spring  was  not  strong  enough  to 
hold  his  whole  weight,  and  the  hound  hung  by  the 
neck,  partially  supported  by  his  hind  legs. 

Somers's  snare  was  not  quite  so  successful ;  but 
the  spring  choked  the  dog,  and  held  him  fast.  The 
third  hound,  dodging  the  obstruction  hi  his  path, 
rushed  towards  him  from  another  direction;  but 
De  Banyan  was  at  his  side  by  this  time,  and  with  a 
few  heavy  blows,  they  killed  the  ugly  beast.  Of 
the  other  two,  one  was  nearly  choked  to  death,  but 
both  were  quickly  despatched  with  the  clubs. 

"  That  job  is  done,"  said  De  Banyan. 

"  And  well  done,"  replied  Somers,  as  they  resumed 
their  flight. 


250  Fighting  Joe. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE   PILQBIMAGE  TO   THE  SEA., 

IT  was  not  very  easy  traveling  in  the  swamp, 
but  it  had  this  advantage,  that  they  could  not  be 
pursued  by  cavalry.  They  had  silenced  the  howl 
of  the  dogs,  and  their  pursuers  could  have  no  idea 
of  the  direction  they  had  taken.  The  killing  of  the 
bloodhounds  gave  the  fugitives  all  the  advantage, 
and  they  "  doubled  "  on  the  hunters  by  returning  to 
the  creek  which  they  had  crossed  before.  After 
following  the  stream  for  about  five  miles,  as  there 
were  no  signs  of  a  pursuit  in  this  direction,  they 
halted  to  wait  for  the  protecting  shades  of  night, 
when  they  hoped  to  find  some  of  the  negroes,  whom 
recaptured  prisoners  had  uniformly  represented  as 
kind  and  devoted  to  the  last  degree. 

It  would  be  several  hours  before  the  journey 
could  be  safely  resumed,  and  our  reunited  friends 
had  much  to  say  of  the  past  and  the  future.  Each 
wished  to  know  the  history  of  the  other  since  they 
had  parted.  Somers  accounted  for  himself  first, 
and  De  Banyan  then  exhibited  the  scar  of  an  ugly 
wound  in  the  head,  which  was  the  one  given  him 
by  the  guerilla.  It  had  knocked  him  from  his  horse ; 


Fighting  Joe,  251 

but  he  had  soon  recovered  his  senses,  and  the  villains 
had  conducted  him  over  the  creek  where  he  fainted. 
When  he  came  to  himself,  his  captors  had  left  him ; 
but  he  was  soon  picked  up  by  a  squad  of  the  regular 
rebel  cavalry,  and  sent  first  to  the  hospital,  then  to 
Columbia,  where  he  had  been  from  that  time.  He 
had  fully  recovered  from  his  wound,  but  his  health 
was  much  impaired  by  hard  usage  and  poor  food. 
He  had  gone  to  the  hospital  to  die,  as  he  thought ; 
but  his  vigorous  constitution  enabled  him  to  survive 
the  medical  treatment. 

He  had  been  too  feeble  to  attempt  to  escape,  as 
hundreds  of  others  had  done ;  but  he  was  now  in 
better  condition  than  he  had  been  before  since  his 
capture.  In  the  hospital,  by  the  exercise  of  his 
ingenuity,  he  had  obtained  better  food,  which  had, 
hi  a  measure,  improved  his  health.  The  sight  of 
Somers  had  given  him  new  life  and  hope;  and 
though  he  was  but  a  shadow  of  his  former  self,  he 
felt  able  to  undergo  all  perils  and  privations  on  the 
road  to  liberty. 

«  I  think  we  have  avoided  our  pursuers,"  said 
Somers,  when  the  major  had  finished  his  narrative. 
"What  shall  we  do  next? " 

«  Keep  clear  of  the  rebels,  if  we  can ;  if  we  can't, 
bluff  them  off,"  replied  De  Banyan,  hopefully. 

"  But  where  shall  we  go  ?  " 

a  We  must  take  the  best  route  to  the  sea ;  per 
haps  the  nearest  is  not  the  best.  A  great  many 


252  Fighting  Joe. 

men  have  escaped  from  Camp  Sorghum,  but  I  be 
lieve  one  half  of  them  have  been  caught  again." 
"  Then  our  chances  are  not  first  rate." 
"  They  are  very  good,  if  we  manage  well.     So  far 
as  I  know,  all  who  have  had  the  escape  fever  at 
tempt  to  reach  the  sea  by  the  Santee  River ;  and  I 
fancy  that  river  is  pretty  closely  watched  now." 
"  Then  it  is  not  best  to  go  that  way." 
"  No :  about  twenty  miles  from  us  to  the  south- 
ward,  the  road  to  Augusta  crosses  the  Edisto  River. 
I  am  in  favor  of  taking  that  route,  because  I  don't 
know  that  any  of  the  prisoners  have  gone  that 
way." 

The  point  was  settled,  and  as  soon  as  it  was  dark, 
the  fugitives  started  on  their  jou  ney  to  the  sea. 
Before  night  they  had  decided  upon  the  direction  of 
the  Augusta  road,  and  succeeded  in  reaching  it. 
Both  of  them  were  in  rags,  a  nd  they  were  wet  and 
cold.  They  had  eaten  nothing  since  morning,  and 
the  greatest  obstacle  with  which  they  had  now  to 
contend  was  their  own  feebleness.  They  reached 
the  road ;  but  though  the  night  was  not  half  gone, 
they  were  completely  exhausted.  They  were  too 
cold  to  sit  down  and  rest,  and  the  exercise  of  walk 
ing  seemed  to  impart  no  warmth  to  their  weak  and 
almost  bloodless  frames.  They  were  not  in  condi 
tion  to  encounter  the  hardships  in  their  path. 

De  Banyan,  with  his  soul  of  iron,  gave  out  first, 
and  actually  sank  down  by  the  side  of  the  road. 


Fighting  Joe.  253 

Somers  could  hardly  keep  from  weeping  when  he 
realized  the  condition  of  his  companion.  He  was 
not  much  stronger  himself,  and  the  enterprise  prom 
ised  to  be  an  utter  failure.  It  was  the  month  of 
December ;  the  air  was  chilly,  and  the  ground  cold 
and  wet,  and  something  must  be  done  for  the  major, 
or  he  would  perish  before  morning. 

Somers  was  weak  in  body,  but  he  was  still  strong 
in  spirit.  The  condition  of  his  friend  appealed  to 
him  with  an  eloquence  which  he  could  not  resist, 
and  moved  him  to  greater  energy.  Taking  from  the 
fence  a  number  of  rails,  he  made  a  kind  of  platform 
of  them  in  a  concealed  spot  in  the  field,  which  he 
covered  with  leaves,  twigs,  and  cornstalks,  obtained 
from  an  adjacent  lot,  until  he  had  made  a  tolerably 
dry  and  comfortable  bed.  He  conducted  the  major 
to  his  new  quarters,  and  laid  him  on  the  couch  he 
had  prepared. 

"  Somers,"  said  De  Banyan,  feebly. 

"  What  shall  I  do  for  you  now  ?  " 

"  Nothing  more,  Somers.     I  am  used  up." 

"  You  will  be  better  soon." 

"  Never,  my  dear  fellow." 

"  Don't  give  up." 

« I  wouldn't  give  up  while  there  is  a  fiber  left  of 
me  to  lean  on ;  but  I  am  almost  gone.  Somers,  take 
care  of  yourself  now.  You  can  do  me  no  good ; 
follow  this  road  till  you  come  to  the  river,  and  then 
find  a  boat,  and  float  down  to  the  blockading  ships.* 


254  Fighting  Joe. 

"  I  shall  not  leave  you,  De  Banyan,"  exclaimed 
Somers,  horrified  by  the  suggestion. 

"  You  can't  do  a  thing  for  me.  I  shall  die  in  a 
few  hours.  I  didn't  think  I  was  so  near  gone  when 
I  left  the  camp,  or  I  wouldn't  have  burdened  you 
with  the  care  of  me." 

"  I  should  have  been  caught  before  this  time,  if  it 
hadn't  been  for  you.  I  will  never  desert  you,  De 
Banyan.  God  would  not  suffer  me  to  live,  if  I 
should  do  so  mean  a  thing !  "  replied  Somers,  ear 
nestly. 

"  As  you  love  me,  Somers,  save  yourself.  It 
would  be  the  greatest  favor  you  could  do  me  to 
insure  your  own  safety,"  replied  the  sufferer,  in 
quivering  tones. 

"  I  will  not  leave  you,  but  I  will  save  you.  I  can 
and  will,"  added  Somers,  with  energy.  "  You  shall 
not  die.  Keep  a  good  heart  for  a  little  while,  and 
you  shall  be  saved." 

"  I  will  keep  up  as  well  as  I  can ;  but  when  a 
strong  man,  like  me,  sinks,  he  generally  goes  all  at 
once.  Leave  me,  I  beg  of  you,  Somers.  It  is  the 
last  favor  I  have  to  ask  of  you." 

"  I  would  not  if  you  begged  it  on  your  bended 
knee.  I  must  leave  you  for  a  time,  but  you  shall 
be  saved,  if  God  will  permit." 

"  God  bless  you,  Somers,"  faintly  ejaculated  the 
sufferer. 

Somers  left  him,  and  hastened  back  to  the  road, 


Fighting  Joe.  255 

carefully  noticing  the  path,  so  that  he  could  easily 
find  the  spot  again.  When  he  reached  it,  he  wag 
almost  overcome  by  his  emotions,  and  by  his  own 
exhaustion.  He  wanted  strength,  at  that  trying 
moment,  more  than  ever  before  in  his  life — strength 
to  save  himself  and  his  friend.  He  knelt  down 
upon  the  cold  ground,  and  prayed  for  strength  with 
an  earnestness  which  had  never  before  burned  in  his 
soul.  He  trusted  in  God,  and  he  asked  for  guidance 
in  this  most  trying  experience  of  his  life. 

He  rose  from  his  knees.  He  knew  that  the  good 
Father  had  heard  him — was  with  him.  Strength 
came,  if  not  to  his  muscles,  in  the  increased  earnest 
ness  of  his  purpose.  He  walked  along  the  road  till 
he  came  to  the  house,  which  the  cornfields  he  had 
seen  assured  him  could  not  be  far  distant.  It  was 
the  mansion  of  a  large  plantation,  and  beyond  it 
was  its  village  of  negro  huts.  The  blacks  were 
friendly,  but  he  could  hardly  expect  to  find  among 
them  what  he  required  to  restore  the  waning  life  of 
De  Banyan. 

Somers  was  a  desperate  man.  It  seemed  to  him 
then  that  the  rebels  had  no  rights  which  he  was 
bound  to  respect.  Throwing  off  his  dilapidated 
boots,  he  approached  the  house,  and  went  to  one  of 
the  windows.  To  his  surprise  ne  found  it  partly 
open.  "With  all  necessary  care  he  raised  the  sash, 
and  got  into  the  house.  There  was  just  light 
enough  in  the  room  to  enable  him  to  find  his  way 


256  Fighting  Joe. 

to  the  mantel,  on  which  were  a  lamp  and  matches. 
He  lighted  the  lamp  and  looked  about  him.  There 
was  a  bed  in  the  room,  on  which  lay  an  object 
which  would  have  frozen  the  blood  in  the  veins  of  a 
timid  person. 

It  was  a  corpse,  the  eyes  covered  with  cents  en 
closed  in  paper,  and  the  jaw  tied  up  with  a  hand 
kerchief.  Somers  glanced  at  it :  he  was  startled, 
but  not  appalled;  for  death,  in  its  most  horrid 
forms,  was  so  familiar  to  him  that  he  did  not  shrink 
from  the  sight.  He  had  a  mission  to  perform,  and 
he  proceeded  to  search  the  room  for  what  he  wanted. 
In  a  large  closet  he  found  two  full  suits  of  men's 
clothing,  one  of  them  a  rebel  uniform ;  and  he  con 
cluded  that  the  deceased  had  been  an  officer  in  the 
army.  On  a  table,  with  a  number  of  vials,  he  found 
a  bottle  of  brandy,  of  which  he  drank  a  few  swallows 
himself. 

Dropping  the  clothing  out  of  the  window,  where 
he  could  take  it  at  his  leisure,  he  continued  the 
search,  and  found  a  couple  of  revolvers  in  a  drawer, 
with  caps  and  cartridges,  which  he  appropriated. 
He  then  left  the  room,  and  in  the  hall  found  an  over 
coat  ;  but  the  most  needed  articles  were  bacon  and 
bread,  of  which  he  discovered  a  plentiful  supply  in 
another  room.  Filling  a  basket  with  the  food,  he 
hastened  to  make  his  escape. 

"Is  that  you,  Alfred?  "  said  the  voice  of  a  woman 
on  the  second  floor. 


Fighting  Joe.  257 

**  Yes,"  replied  Somers. 

« Is  everything  right  ?  " 

«  Yes." 

« Don't  you  think  you  had  better  shut  the  win 
dows  ?  I  am  afraid  some  creature  will  get  into  the 
room." 

"  I  will,"  answered  Somers,  afraid  to  use  many 
words. 

He  crept  back  into  the  chamber  of  death,  and  re 
specting  the  fears  of  the  woman,  who  might  be  the 
wife  or  the  mother  of  the  deceased,  he  closed  three 
of  the  four  windows,  and  when  he  had  passed  out 
himself,  shut  the  remaining  one.  With  the  utmost 
care,  he  departed  from  the  house  laden  with  the 
precious  articles  he  had  obtained.  It  was  one  o'clock 
at  night,  as  he  had  seen  by  a  clock  in  the  house,  and 
all  was  still.  At  a  safe  distance  from  the  mansion^ 
he  took  off  the  rags  he  wore,  and  put  on  the  rebel 
uniform,  leaving  the  other  suit,  which  was  heavier 
and  warmer,  for  De  Banyan.  Thus  relieved  of  a 
portion  of  his  burden,  he  hastened  to  the  couch  of 
his  perishing  companion. 

"  How  do  you  feel,  my  best  friend  ?  "  said  Somers, 
as  he  bent  over  the  sick  man. 

"  Is  that  you,  Somers  ?  I  hoped  you  had  gone," 
replied  the  major,  very  faintly. 

"No:  I  am  come  with  life  and  hope,"  added 
Somers,  as  he  placed  the  bottle  of  brandy  to  the 
sick  man's  lips. 


258  Fighting  Joe. 

He  drank  all  that  his  faithful  companion  dared  to 
give  him.  It  warmed  his  stomach,  and  gave  him 
new  life. 

u  God  bless  you,  Somers !  I  was  thinking  that 
brandy  would  save  my  life.  I  felt  as  though  my 
vitals  were  frozen." 

"  Could  you  get  up  for  a  moment  or  two  ?  " 

"  O,  yes !  I  feel  like  a  new  man,"  answered  the 
patient,  who  was  not  only  strengthened  but  exhila 
rated  by  the  strong  liquor  he  had  taken. 

"Let  me  put  these  clothes  on  you." 

"  Clothes  ?  "  said  the  major,  as  he  rose  to  his  feet. 

"Yes:  I  have  a  whole  suit  for  you,"  replied 
Somers,  as  he  assisted  him  to  put  on  the  dress  he 
had  brought. 

They  were  warm  and  dry,  and  the  poor  fellow 
manifested  a  childish  delight  as  he  put  them  on. 
They  were  rather  small,  but  they  were  warm  and 
•comfortable.  To  these  was  added  the  overcoat. 

"  Now,  could  you  eat  bacon  and  bread  ?  "  asked 
Somers. 

"  Could  I  eat  them  ?    I  could  if  I  had  them." 

"  You  have  them"  replied  his  attentive  friend,  as 
he  brought  the  basket  to  his  couch. 

They  both  ate  heartily,  and  when  they  had  fin 
ished,  De  Banyan  declared  that  he  could  walk  ten 
miles  more  that  night. 

Somers  knew  that  he  could  not — that  he  was 
under  the  influence  of  the  brandy,  and  over-esti- 


Fighting  Joe.  *  259 

mated  his  strength.  When  he  left  the  hospital  he 
was  as  feeble  as  an  infant,  and  nothing  but  the  flash 
ing  hope  of  freedom  could  have  sustained  his  weak 
body  in  the  battle  with  the  bloodhounds,  and  the 
walk  from  the  creek.  His  friend  determined  to  keep 
him  quiet  for  a  few  days,  if  possible,  assured  that 
otherwise  the  enterprise  must  fail. 

"Do  you  feel  warm?"  asked  Somers,  when  he 
had  told  the  story  of  his  visit  to  the  house. 

"  All  but  my  feet,"  replied  the  patient. 

"  I  will  warm  them,"  added  the  devoted  nurse,  as 
he  took  from  his  pocket  a  pair  of  socks,  which  he 
had  transferred  from  the  old  to  the  new  suit.  "  These 
are  my  fighting  socks,  but  they  shall  do  the  best 
work  now  they  have  ever  done." 

De  Banyan  protested,  but  Somers  persisted,  and 
put  the  cherished  mementoes  of  Lilian  upon  his  feet, 

"  Now  go  to  sleep,"  continued  Somers,  as  he  ad 
justed  the  overcoat,  and  placed  the  rags — of  which 
the  major  had  divested  himself — on  his  feet. 

He  went  to  sleep,  and  Somers  departed  on  an  ex 
ploring  expedition.  In  a  pine  forest,  half  a  mile 
distant,  he  found  an  old  shanty,  which  had  been 
used  for  men  engaged  in  drawing  pitch  from  the 
trees.  To  this  he  transferred  his  patient,  and  kept 
him  there  for  a  week.  The  negroes  on  the  planta 
tion  discovered  the  fugitives,  but  they  were  faithful 
friends,  and  supplied  them  with  food  and  bed-clothes, 
so  that  they  were  quite  comfortable. 


260  Fighting  Joe. 

From  these  devoted  allies  of  the  Union  army, 
Somers  learned  that  the  deceased  person  he  had 
seen  in  the  house  was  the  son  of  the  planter,  who 
had  been  sent  home  wounded.  The  articles  taken 
had  been  missed,  but  the  robbery  was  attributed 
to  a  couple  of  negroes  who  had  ran  away  at  the 
time. 

De  Banyan  gained  strength  each  day,  now  that  he 
was  well  clothed  and  well  fed.  After  a  week's  rest, 
the  fugitives  started  again,  guided  by  a  negro  be 
longing  to  the  plantation,  who  conducted  them  to 
the  river,  and  provided  them  with  a  boat.  Night 
after  night  they  floated  down  the  stream,  guided  and 
fed  by  the  negroes,  till  they  reached  the  sea,  and 
went  on  board  of  one  of  the  blockaders. 

Once  more  they  were  beneath  the  old  flag ;  once 
more  they  were  in  the  hands  of  friends  ;  and  from 
their  hearts  went  up  the  song  of  jubilee  to  Him  who 
had  guided  and  strengthened  them  in  their  pil 
grimage  from  darkness  and  death  to  light  and 
liberty.  When  they  reached  Port  Royal,  they  heard 
of  the  capture  of  Savannah  and  the  conquering  march 
of  Sherman  from  Atlanta  to  the  sea.  Then  they 
sang  a  new  song  of  jubilee,  for  the  days  of  the  re 
bellion  were  numbered. 


Fighting  Joe.  261 


MAJOR    SOMEKS    AXD    FRIENDS. 

SOMEBS  and  De  Banyan  proceeded  from  Port 
Royal  to  Washington,  by  the  way  of  Fortress  Mon 
roe.  "  Fighting  Joe  "  was  no  longer  in  the  field  of 
active  operations,  and  our  officers  resigned  their  po 
sitions  on  the  staff.  The  doughty  general  had  won 
the  admiration  of  the  nation;  the  present  genera 
tion  will  gratefully  remember  his  efficient  services, 
and  posterity  will  enroll  his  name  among  the  ablest 
and  bravest  defenders  of  the  Union. 

The  term  of  service  of  the  major's  regiment  had 
expired,  and  it  had  been  sent  home,  and  mustered 
out.  Consequently  he  was  out  of  employment. 
Somers  was  determined  that  he  should  not  remain 
so  long.  There  was  a  certain  Senator  Guilford  in 
Washington,  who  considered  himself  under  strong 
obligations  to  the  young  officer,  and  Somers  im 
mediately  paid  his  respects  to  the  distinguished  man. 
He  was  warmly  greeted,  and  when  he  had  told  his 
story,  he  was  bold  enough  to  ask  a  great  favor  for 
his  friend. 

"  I  will  do  what  I  can  for  him,  Captain  Somers, 
you  may  be  sure.  I  remember  him  well,  and  I  have 


262  Fighting  Joe. 

always  heard  excellent  accounts  of  him  from  your 
friend  the  general." 

«*  There  is  not  a  better  man  in  the  service,  sir ;  and 
he  is  worthy  of  any  place  which  the  government  can 
give  him,"  replied  Somers,  warmly. 

"  I  know  he  is.  By  the  way,  captain,  a  certain 
general  called  upon  me  in  relation  to  your  affairs 
more  than  a  year  ago." 

"Indeed,  sir?"  And  Somers  understood  that  he 
was  indebted  to  the  senator  for  his  position  in  the 
regular  army.  "I  am  very  grateful  to  you,  Mr. 
Guilford." 

"  Don't  mention  it ;  my  daughter,  whose  life  you 
saved,  thinks  I  have  not  half  paid  the  debt  yet." 

"  You  have  more  than  paid  it,  sir ;  and  if  I  had 
known  that  I  was  indebted  to  you  for  my  position, 
I  should  hardly  have  dared  to  speak  to  you  in  be 
half  of  Major  de  Banyan." 

"  Don't  be  modest,  Captain  Somers.  I  have  no 
scruples  whatever  in  asking  favors  for  such  officers 
as  yourself  and  your  friend.  I  invariably  refuse  to 
,say  a  word  for  any  military  man,  unless  I  know 
that  he  is  thoroughly  meritorious.  But,  captain, 
you  do  not  ask  for  my  daughter." 

"  I  heard  she  was  married,  and  lived  in  Phila 
delphia,"  replied  Soraers,  with  some  confusion. 

u  That  is  the  case  ;  she  often  speaks  of  you,  and 
when  you  pass  through  Philadelphia  you  must  see 
her." 


Fighting  Joe,  263 

"  I  will  certainly  do  so,  sir,"  replied;  the  captain, 
as  he  took  his  leave. 

Three  days  after  he  received  a  note  from  the 
senator,  with  De  Banyan's  commission  as  a  major  in 
the  regular  army.  He  hastened  to  communicate  the 
news  to  his  friend.  The  gratitude  of  the  major  knew 
no  bounds,  and  he  declared  that  Somers  had  been 
more  to  him  than  all  the  rest  of  the  world.  A  fur 
lough  of  thirty  days  had  been  granted  them,  and  they 
started,  the  one  for  Pinchbrook,  and  the  other  for 
Tennessee,  in  search  of  his  son,  who  had  returned  to 
Nashville  when  the  army  moved  from  Chattanooga. 

On  the  way  home  Somers  called  upon  the  senator's 
daughter,  and  found  her  as  pleasing-,  as  pretty,  and 
as  grateful  as  ever ;  but  hia  heart  was  farther  north, 
and  he  hastened  to  the  waiting  arms  of  his  loving 
friends.  Lilian  wept  with  joy  when  she  saw  him, 
and  grandmother  Ashford  insisted  upon  telling 
about  the  defense  of  Boston  during  the  "  last  war." 

"  Lilian,  I  have  lost  my  socks,"  said  Somers, 
when  Mrs.  Ashford  had  safely  returned  to  their 
homes  the  firemen  who  went  out  to  cut  away  the 
bridges  in  case  of  an  invasion.  "  I  had  to  put  them 
on  my  friend  De  Banyan's  feet,  when  he  had  nearly 
perished  from  cold  and  exhaustion." 

"  I  am  so  glad  you  did ! " 

"  I  suffered  myself,  in  Andersonville  and  Columbia, 
rather  than  wear  them  out,  but  I  could  not  resist 
the  appeal  of  my  suffering  friend." 


264  Fighting  Joe. 

"  I  am  glad  you  did  not." 

"  De  Banyan  is  a  noble  fellow,"  added  Somers. 

"  Shall  I  never  see  him  ?  " 

"  I  hope  you  will ; "  and  she  did,  as  the  reader 
will  soon  learn. 

Somers  went  to  Pinchbrook,  and  was  welcomed 
as  one  who  had  come  forth  from  the  grave.  His 
mother  wept  over  him,  his  father  rejoiced  over  him, 
and  Captain  Barney,  the  friend  of  the  family, 
"  crowed  "  over  him.  He  spent  his  thirty  days  be 
tween  Boston  and  Pinchbrook,  and  at  the  end  of 
that  time  reported  for  duty  in  Washington.  He 
was  ordered  to  join  the  regiment  in  which  he  had 
been  commissioned,  then  in  the  line  before  Peters 
burg.  In  the  bloody  battle  for  the  recovery  of  Fort 
Steadman,  which  had  been  captured  by  the  rebels 
in  a  night  attack,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  mount 
the  rampart,  and  turn  the  tide  against  the  enemy. 
He  fought  with  desperation,  and  urged  his  men  to 
deeds  of  valor,  which  did  much  to  retrieve  the 
fortunes  of  the  day. 

For  his  heroic  conduct  on  that  eventful  morning, 
he  was  made  a  major.  De  Banyan  was  there  also, 
and  what  one  did  for  his  company  the  other  did  for 
his  regiment.  The  brave  Tennesseean  was  not  for 
gotten  nor  overlooked.  His  merit  was  promptly 
recognized,  and  when  the  conquering  host  moved 
forward  in  pursuit  of  the  flying  brigades  of  the 
rebels,  he  was  a  brigadier-general  of  volunteers. 


Fighting  Joe.  265 

Then  came  to  them  in  the  field,  and  then  flashed 
over  the  telegraph  wires  to  all  parts  of  the  nation, 
the  thrilling  intelligence  that  Richmond  was  cap 
tured.  Still  the  indomitable  Grant  drew  his  grip 
tighter  and  tighter  upon  the  scattering  hordes  of 
the  rebellion ;  still  Meade  pressed  on,  and  still 
Sheridan  thundered  over  and  through  the  shattered 
host  of  treason,  until  Lee  surrendered  the  remnant 
of  the  vaunted  army  of  Northern  Virginia.  The 
gallant  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  there  to  witness 
the  humiliation  of  its  old  enemy. 

All  over  the  land  cannon  roared,  bells  pealed, 
bonfires  blazed,  and  all  the  people  shouted  "  Glory, 
Hallelujah,"  as  the  military  power  of  the  Rebellion 
crumbled  and  fell.  Firmly  had  it  stood,  defying 
freedom,  justice  and  humanity ;  it  drooped  and  ex 
pired  almost  in  the  twinkling  of  an  eye. 

The  nation  was  filled  with  joy.  Soldiers,  sailors, 
and  civilians  rejoiced  together,  and  from  the  hearts 
of  all  rose  the  psean  of  thanksgiving  for  the  victory 
which  had  crowned  our  arms.  Then,  in  the  midst 
of  the  people's  gladness,  came  the  terrible  shock  of 
the  assassination  of  the  nation's  ruler — of  the  wise, 
noble,  and  good  President  Lincoln;  and  the  re 
deemed  Union  was  shrouded  in  mourning  for  him, 
who  fell  just  as  he  rose  to  the  glory  of  the  mighty 
work  he  had  accomplished. 

The  war  was  virtually  ended.  The  surrender  of 
Lee  was  followed  by  that  of  Johnston,  and  others  in 


266  Fighting  Joe. 

command  of  portions  of  the  rebel  army.  The 
regiment  to  which  Major  Somers  belonged  was 
ordered  to  garrison  a  post;  and  De  Banyan,  who 
was  attached  to  the  same  regiment,  but  for  brave 
and  skilful  conduct  in  one  of  Sheridan's  mighty 
charges,  had  been  promoted  to  the  rank  of  lieutenant- 
colonel,  also  joined  the  command  when  his  brigade 
was  dissolved. 

"  General  De  Banyan,  we  meet  again ! "  exclaimed 
Somers,  as  they  joined  hands,  after  several  months 
of  separation. 

«  Glory,  Hallelujah !  "  shouted  the  general.  "  The 
war  is  over !  The  Union  is  saved !  Rebellion  is 
forever  crushed !  Somers,  my  dear  fellow,  I  would 
hug  you  if  it  were  dignified  for  a  lieutenant-colonel 
to  do  such  a  thing." 

"Never  mind  your  dignity,  general.  I  feel  like 
being  silly,  now  that  ;  this  cruel  war  is  over.'  I  am 
delighted  to  see  you.  Do  you  remember  Columbia  ? 
Do  you  remember  the  bloodhounds  ?  " 

tt  Shall  I  ever  forget  them  ?  "  replied  De  Banyan, 
feelingly. 

u  Do  you  remember  that  night  when  we  reached 
the  Augusta  road  ?  " 

"  I  could  not  forget  that  any  more  than  I  could 
forget  you,"  answered  the  general,  as  he  again  wrung 
the  hand  of  his  devoted  friend  "  Somers,  our 
country  is  saved.  We  have  fought  it  through  to 
the  end." 


Fighting  Joe.  267 

"  We  have  had  a  hard  time  of  it.  Do  you  sup 
pose,  De  Banyan,  if  it  were  to  be  done  over  again, 
you  would  be  willing  to  go  through  with  it  once 
more  ?  "  asked  Somers. 

"  Upon  my  soul,  I  should !  "  replied  the  general 
warmly.  "  If  I  knew  I  had  to  die  on  the  cold,  wet 
ground,  by  the  side  of  the  Augusta  road,  after  three 
years  of  hard  service,  I  would  go  in  as  cheerfully 
as  I  would  eat  my  dinner  when  I  am  hungry. 
Somers,  if  there  is  any  man  that  loves  his  country, 
I  do.  I  am  willing  to  fight  for  her,  and  willing  to 
die  for  her.  This  was  a  most  infernal  rebellion, 
and  I  thank  God  I  have  lived  to  see  the  end  of  it." 

«  So  do  I,"  responded  Somers,  fervently. 

With  the  end  of  the  war  ends  our  story,  though  a 
few  months  later,  an  interesting  event  occurred  in 
Boston,  which  we  have  not  the  heart  to  withhold 
from  our  readers,  who  have  patiently  followed  our 
hero  through  his  career  of  duty  and  suffering.  As 
they  have  seen  him  in  the  carnage  of  battle,  hi  the 
toils  of  the  foe,  in  the  loathsome  prison  camps  of 
the  rebels,  so  should  they  now  see  him  in  the  hour 
of  his  greatest  earthly  joy.  The  event  to  which  we 
allude  was  chronicled  in  the  papers  of  the  city  as 
follows : — 

"  December  7,  by  the  Rev.  Dr. ,  Major  Thomas 

Somers,  of  the  — th  United  States  Infantry,  to  Miss 
Lilian  Ashford,  daughter  of  Richard  C.  Ashford, 
Esq.,  of  this  city.  (No  Cards.)  " 


268  Fighting  Joe. 

No.  —  Rutland  Street  was  brilliantly  illuminated, 
as  the  stars  broke  forth  from  the  storm  clouds  of 
that  snowy  Thanksgiving  evening.  There  was  a 
select  assemblage  of  gentlemen,  civil  and  military, 
and  of  ladies,  young  and  old,  from  the  matrons  in 
sober  black,  to  the  maidens  decked  in  colors  appro 
priate  to  the  joyous  occasion.  "  Fighting  Joe  "  had 
been  cordially  invited,  but  a  severe  illness  alone 
prevented  his  attendance. 

Half  an  hour  before  the  time  appointed  for  the 
ceremony,  a  carriage  stopped  at  the  door,  from 
which  stepped  a  tall  gentleman,  dressed  in  an  ele 
gant  new  uniform,  on  the  shoulder- straps  of  which 
glistened  the  silver  leaves  that  indicated  his  rank. 
With  nervous  energy  he  dashed  up  the  steps,  and 
endangered  the  bell  wire  by  the  desperate  pull  he 
gave.  His  summons  was  promptly  answered  by  a 
colored  gentleman  in  white  cotton  gloves. 

"  Major  Somers,"  said  the  gentleman,  sententiously 

"  The  major  is  engaged  just  now,  sir,  and  cannot 
be  seen,"  replied  the  waiter. 

"  Can't  be  seen  ! "  exclaimed  the  arrival. 

"  Not  just  now,  sir.     Walk  in,  if  you  please,  sir." 

"  Tell  him  Colonel  De  Banyan  is  here  ;  and  if  that 
don't  fetch  him,  say  '  Magenta '  to  him." 

The  waiter  went  up-stairs  to  the  front  room, 
where  the  bride  and  groom  and  their  more  ultimate 
friends  were  assembled. 

"  Colonel  De  Banyan,  from  Magenta,  sir,  is " 


Fighting  Joe.  269 

«*Prom  where?"  roared  Somers,  jumping  from 
his  chair,  so  thoroughly  convulsed  with  laughter 
that  the  buttons  on  his  new  coat  threatened  to  be 
wrenched  from  their  proper  spheres.  "  Show  him 
up,"  added  he,  when  he  could  speak  the  words. 

"  My  dear  Somers,  I  am  with  you  once  again," 
said  the  colonel,  as  he  rushed  into  the  room  and 
seized  his  friend  by  both  hands.  "From  the  deep 
est  depths  of  an  honest  heart  I  congratulate  you 
upon  your  approaching  happiness." 

"  Thank  you,  general.  I  am  delighted  to  see 
you,"  replied  Somers.  "  It  needed  only  your  presence 
to  complete  my  happiness." 

"  Mrs.  Somers,  I  greet  you,"  continued  the  colonel, 
dashing  towards  the  old  lady,  and  saluting  her  with 
the  most  courtly  elegance. 

"  Sakes  alive ! "  exclaimed  the  happy  matron. 
"  If  it  ain't  Captain  de  Bangyang." 

"  Colonel  de  Banyan,  if  you  please,  is  my  present 
appellation ;  though  I  am  sometimes  called  General 
de  Banyan.  I  trust  you  are  quite  well,  madam." 

«  Well,  I'm  pretty  toler'ble,  I  thank  ye,  General 
de  Ban —  Well,  I'm — I  declare,  I'm  so  flustrated  I 
can't  speak  a  word  to-night." 

u  Madam,  you  are  the  proud  and  happy  mother  of 
the  noblest  young  man  in  this  noble  republic,"  said 
the  colonel,  magnificently. 

"  Excuse  me,  De  Banyan,  but  there  is  a  lady  here 
who  has  long  desired  to  make  your  acquaintance," 


270  Fighting  Joe. 

interposed  Somers,  as  he  led  his  friend  to  another 
part  of  the  room,  where  Lilian  sat,  blushing  and 
beautiful. 

"Lilian,  this  is  my  friend,  General  de  Banyan. 
General,  Miss  Ashford." 

"  Miss  Ashford,"  said  the  general,  with  a  dignified 
bow,  as  he  took  the  gloved  hand  that  was  extended 
to  him,  "  I  bend  in  homage  before  one  who  is  mighty 
enough  in  her  beauty  and  her  virtues  to  win  the 
heart  of  my  friend  Major  Somers." 

Lilian  blushed  deeper  than  ever  as  she  expressed 
her  pleasure  at  meeting  the  man  who  had  shared 
the  toils  and  the  sufferings  of  her  intended  husband. 

**  Miss  Ashford,  I  have  long  known  you,  though 
we  now  meet  for  the  first  time ;  but  permit  me  to 
add,  that  my  friend  is  the  only  man  in  the  United 
States  who  is  worthy  of  the  hand  which  is  so  soon 
to  be  his,"  added  De  Banyan,  who  was  clearly  in  a 
"  magnificent "  mood  on  this  occasion. 

"  I  am  afraid  I  shall  be  jealous  of  you,  general," 
laughed  Lilian. 

"  Nay,  the  major's  heart  is  big  enough  to  hold  us 
all,  Miss  Ashford,"  continued  De  Banyan,  still  hold 
ing  the  little  hand.  "  I  pray  to  God  that  he  may 
never  be  called  upon  to  do  as  much  for  you  as  he 
has  done  for  me.  When  you  sink  down  to  die  upon 
the  cold,  wet  ground  in  winter,  exhausted  by  sick 
ness,  borne  under  by  starvation,  with  the  savage 
bloodhounds  baying  in  the  distance,  and  more  sav- 


Fighting  Joe.  271 

age  rebels  lying  in  wait  for  you ;  when  you  lie  down 
to  die  under  these  awful  conditions,  and  he" — 
pointing  to  the  major — "  steps  between  you  and  the 
quaking  messenger  of  death,  who  already  has  a  gripe 
upon  you ;  when  he,  at  the  imminent  peril  of  his 
life,  procures  food  and  clothing  to  restore  you ; 
when  he  has  stood  over  you  like  an  angel,  and  won 
back  the  breath  of  life  to  your  feeble  body ;  when 
he  has  done  this  for  you,  you  will  know  him  as  I 
know  him." 

As  he  finished,  a  great  tear  slid  down  each  side 
of  his  bronzed  face  ;  but  he  dashed  it  away,  and 
smiled  again.  Lilian  pressed  the  great  hand  she 
held,  and  a  tear  burned  among  the  roses  of  her 
bright  cheek. 

"  But  all  this,  and  more,  has  he  done  for  me ! " 
exclaimed  Somers,  pointing  to  the  colonel.  "  When 
I  was  wounded  and  helpless — " 

"  Upon  my  word,  we  are  getting  sentimental, 
major ;  and  we  had  better  subside,"  interposed  the 
colonel.  "  Introduce  me  to  the  rest  of  the  people." 

Somers  complied ;  and  to  each  De  Banyan  made 
one  of  his  characteristic  speeches ;  and  perhaps  he 
would  have  been  voted  ridiculous,  if  his  eloquence 
had  not  a  moment  before  started  the  tears  of  more 
than  half  the  persons  in  the  room. 

Among  those  present  was  John  Somers,  the 
major's  twin  brother,  who  had  come  home  to  par 
ticipate  in  this  festive  scene.  On  his  arm  was  a 


272  Fighting  Joe. 

beautiful  young  lady ;  but  who  and  what  she  was, 
we  must,  for  prudential  reasons,  decline  to  explain 
in  this  volume. 

The  clergyman  came;  the  ceremony  was  per 
formed,  and  the  interesting  incidents  which  follow 
it  were  duly  and  properly  disposed  of;  and  never 
was  a  happy  couple  more  sincerely  congratulated. 

"  Mrs.  Somers,  permit  me  to  express  my  warmest 
hopes  for  your  future  happiness,"  said  De  Banyan. 
"May  your  husband  be  to  you  all  that  he  has  been 
to  me ;  he  can  be  no  more  ;  he  will  be  no  less." 

There  was  nothing  to  mar  the  harmony  of  the 
occasion.  Grandmother  Ashford  mercifully  per 
mitted  the  heroes  of  the  "  last  war  "  to  rest  in  their 
honored  graves ;  and  all  gave  a  hearty  God-speed  to 
the  happy  couple,  as  they  twain  set  out  on  the  bliss 
ful  journey  of  wedlock. 

Major  Somers  is  a  man  of  good  motives,  and  of 
high  Christian  principles,  won  in  the  day  of  trial 
and  suffering,  no  less  than  in  prosperity ;  and  we 
doubt  not  he  will  be  as  true  to  his  God,  his  country, 
and  himself,  in  the  future,  as  he  has  been  in  the 
past;  when,  by  his  fidelity,  his  bravery,  and  his 
patriotism,  he  carved  out  his  fortunes  on  the  battle 
fields  of  The  Great  Rebellion. 


MAR  2  6  1979 


DATE  DUE 


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